April 10, 2024
The XVII Meeting of the Heads (Chiefs of Staff) of the National Anti-Terrorism Centers of the CIS Member-States and a meeting of the Scientific-Advisory Board at the CIS ATC were held on April 10, 2024 in Moscow.
The event brought together representatives of the competent authorities of 9 Commonwealth states, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan;
10 CIS bodies, namely the Executive Committee, Council of heads of security agencies and special services, Council of ministers of interior, Council of commanders of border troops, Council of defense ministers, Coordinating council of prosecutor generals, Council of head of financial intelligence units, Council of heads of customs services, Council of heads of migration authorities, Antiterrorism Center;
3 international organizations, namely SCO Regional anti-terrorist structure, Collective Security Treaty Organization an Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism;
4 think tanks and educational organizations, including Institute of State and Law of the Russian Science Academy, Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Moscow State Linguistic University, Military Science Academy.
At the beginning of the event the participants strongly condemned the terrorist attack committed on March 22, 2024 at Crocus City Hall, paid homage to the victims, expressed condolences to the relatives and loved ones of those who had been killed and wished the injured ones a speedy recovery.
During the meeting the participants assessed the situation in the field of counter-terrorism and counter-extremism in the CIS area, exchanged national best CT practices, outlined the measures aimed to strengthen and develop the cooperation.
The parties agreed that high activity of the international terrorist organizations in the territory of Afghanistan, Syria-Iraq area as well as the conflicts in Ukraine and Middle East remained the key factors impacting the evolution of the terrorist threats to the Commonwealth states.
Terrorist threats are significantly reinforced by rising risks of illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition to the territory of the CIS, criminal use of advanced information and technology achievements (AI, UAVs and other robotic systems). The threat of cyber-attacks on critical information facilities, industrial, fuel-energy complex and transport facilities’ control systems remain relevant.
It was noted that Internet space continued to be used for organization, preparation and financing of terrorist activities, with the focus being on the youth radicalization. Promoted are new and updated misanthropic ideas which oppose the people, confessions or nationalities to their environment.
The meeting of the Scientific-Advisory Board at the CIS ATC offered an exchange of ideas on the gaps and problems in the CIS model legislation in the field of counter-terrorism and counter-extremism and measures to eliminate them, to monitor implementation of the CIS model acts in the states' national law.
The Board members reviewed problematic issues and practices of the competent authorities in countering terrorist and extremist use of AI, as well as emerging methods to counter cyber terrorism amid the terrorist use of contemporary digital tools to finance their operations.
