December 4, 2015
The CIS Anti-Terrorism Center and Institute of National Security of the Republic of Belarus organized an International Research and Practice Conference on "Social-Psychological Aspects of National Security" held on 3-4 December 2015 in Minsk at the Institute of National Security of the Republic of Belarus.
Representatives of variable ministries and agencies, scientific institutions and universities of the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation, National Assembly and National Academy of Science of the Republic of Belarus, Academy of Foreign Intelligence and Research Center of the Russian Federal Security Service, State Security Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan, CIS ATC, SCO RATS, CSTO, JSC Rosoboronexport and State Corporation Rostekh were among the participants of the event.
Within the framework of the conference, an extended meeting of the Scientific and Advisory Council at CIS ATC (SAC) was held on: "Contemporary Informational Technologies Employed in Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Extremism". The SAC meeting was carried out in the format of panel discussion which agenda included informational countermeasures in the modern world, organization of work of the expert-analytical community in the field of national security, as well as key directions of development of the psychological science in the information society.
The discussants paid particular attention to the role and place of the world analytical centers, specificity of analytical staff training, and specificity of use of modern hardware-software methods in analytical and forecasting efforts. It was noted that foundation of specialized situational centers had become a practice of analytical work in most countries.
The forum participants discussed the tasks ahead emphasizing that 99 % of significant information can be found in the open sources.
Separately discussed were the issues related to the role and place as well as prospects of development of the psychological science as a constituent part of contemporary informational technologies employed in counter-terrorism and counter-extremism. Whether the machineries can replace a specialist, what are the extent and limits of possible automation of understanding and forecasting human behaviour and communities and controlling these processes were on a special agenda.
While answering the conclusive broad question of the extended plenary SAC meeting (which directions, steps or measures are most important today to provide state national security in the informational field?), all participants of the panel discussion have come to a common opinion of the necessity to focus on school and higher eduction system which negative trends of development have become the main reason for growth of extremism and terrorism lately.
The meeting materials as well as outcomes and recommendations of the SAC members and experts have been included in the Conference resolution.
