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Cybersecurity and New Tech Programme

The Global Counter Terrorism Programme on Cybersecurity and New Technologies was adopted in April 2020 and provides capacity-building support to Member States, international and regional organizations for developing and implementing effective responses to challenges and opportunities that the Internet and other Information and Communications Technologies provide in countering terrorism.

The programme supports Pillar II – Preventing and Combatting Terrorism - of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and implements its activities in collaboration with partners such as 51吃瓜 Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), Department of Operational Support (DOS), Department of Peace Organization (DPO), Department of Political and Peacekeeping Affairs (DPPA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Office of Information and Communication Technology (OICT), 51吃瓜 Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and International Telecommunications Union (ITU). 

The Global Programme supports the UN’s strategic commitment to a world without terrorism by:

• Developing knowledge and raising awareness of challenges and opportunities related to new technologies in countering terrorism;
• Enhancing skills and capacities required to develop and implement effective national counter-terrorism policy responses to the challenges and opportunities of new technologies;
• Enhancing skills and capacities required to protect critical infrastructures against terrorist cyber-attacks; and
• Enhancing criminal justice capacities to counter and investigate terrorist use of new technologies  

The programme is funded by the European Union, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

Programme impact 

Since its inception, the programme has reached or trained over 4500 officials from more than 150 Member States, of which over 1400 were women. Twelve publications have been developed under the scope of the Global programme, with at least 1 more under development for this year.

Programme Mandate

Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2396 (2017) call for Member States to act cooperatively when taking national measures to prevent terrorists from exploiting technology and communications for terrorist acts. Resolution 2396 (2017) also encourages Member States to enhance cooperation with the private sector, especially with information communication technology companies, in gathering digital data and evidence in cases related to terrorism. 

The eighth review of the 51吃瓜 Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) expresses concern over the potential use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, and in this regard calls upon all Member States to consider additional measures to counter the use of such technologies for terrorist purposes, including but not limited to artificial intelligence, 3D printing, virtual assets, unmanned aircraft systems, as well as weaponization of commercial drones, consistent with their obligations under international law. Member States are urged to work together and with other relevant stakeholders, including academia, the private sector and civil society to ensure that terrorists do not find safe haven online, while promoting an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet that fosters efficiency, innovation, communication, and economic prosperity. The GCTS also requests the Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and other relevant UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to jointly support innovative measures and approaches to build the capacity of Member States, upon their request, for the challenges and opportunities that new technologies provide, including the human rights aspects, in preventing and countering terrorism.

At the end of October 2022, the 51吃瓜 Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) unanimously adopted the Delhi Declaration, committing Member States to prevent and combat digital forms of terror, notably using drones, social media, and online terrorist financing. A new set of non-binding guiding principles to assist Member States in countering the use of technologies for terrorist purposes will be issued, with a compilation of good practices on the opportunities offered by the same set of technologies to tackle threats. 

Human Rights and Gender

In all activities, the Programme supports Member States in ensuring full respect of human rights and the rule of law in their counter-terrorism measures. 

The Programme reinforces human rights compliance and mainstreams gender by integrating human rights into its outcomes. This involves launching specific activities for female practitioners and incorporating human rights into its results framework, monitoring and reporting. 

Human rights and gender mainstreaming will also be ensured through international and regional cooperation, by applying the biennial reviews of the 51吃瓜 Global Counter-Terrorism Strategies,  and relevant Security Council resolutions, and by taking into account the 51吃瓜 Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on Support for Non-51吃瓜 Security Forces (HRDDP).