Tashkent hosts the 10th International Scientific and Practical Conference of the RATS SCO, which included the heads of delegations of the competent authorities of the SCO and CIS member states and authorized structures of international organizations, in the Palace of International Forums “Uzbekistan”.

As part of the fourth session “Common efforts in the fight against manifestations of terrorism”, speeches were heard from representatives of international organizations (UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team), security agencies, and special services of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, as well as scientific and educational institutions of China (Lanchang-Mekong integrated Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation Center, China Institute of International Studies) and Italy (ITSTIME Center of the Catholic University).

The session participants exchanged views on the financing of terrorism, including the implementation of joint programs and projects aimed at increasing the efficiency of monitoring financial flows and identifying suspicious transactions and the development of databases on the platforms of the CIS ATC and RATS SCO on terrorist organizations and individuals involved in the financing of terrorism.

Modern forms and methods used by terrorist organizations to finance their criminal activities were discussed.

The event participants shared an opinion on the need to continue exchanging information between the competent authorities of the CIS and SCO countries and international organizations to more effectively detect and suppress financial flows related to terrorism and extremism. 

Representatives of international organizations (the SCO Public Diplomacy Center, the UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team), ministries, and scientific and educational institutions of Uzbekistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and China (the Academy of the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, the Academy of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan, the Centre for Ibero-American Programmes of the Moscow State Linguistic University, the Center for Eurasian Studies and the Institute of International Studies of the MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation) addressed the fifth session on “The Ideology of Extremism – a Threat to the Sovereignty, Security and Territorial Integrity of States”.

Issues of extremist ideology, which is actively spread using information and communication technologies were discussed. This included the use of artificial intelligence technologies to monitor and analyze extremist content in social networks and other web resources and counteract radicalization in the virtual space.

Considering the scale and nature of modern security challenges and threats, the need to increase joint efforts to counter terrorism and extremism was voiced. At the same time, the participants noted the importance of this platform for further development of international counter-terrorism cooperation and strengthening trust between the CIS and SCO countries.

As measures to counter the spread of extremism and radicalism, experts proposed developing and implementing international standards and protocols for exchanging information and coordinating actions to counter extremism in the digital space.

Following the session, the participants expressed their intentions to further strengthen cooperation in countering terrorism and extremism based on the principles of openness and mutual trust, relying on the norms of international law.

UzA