Kamil Aydin addresses the meeting in Rome, 6 December 2024ROME, 6 December 2024 – The Sixth Meeting of the Coordination Mechanism for Parliamentary Assemblies on Counter-Terrorism took place today at the Italian Parliament in Rome. With 13 parliamentary assemblies from around the world participating, along with representatives of several national parliaments, UN entities and other relevant international organizations, participants discussed ongoing regional terrorism and violent extremism trends and reviewed recent counter-terrorism initiatives implemented by parliamentary assemblies.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which chaired the Coordination Mechanism since 2022, was represented in Rome by Eugenio Zoffili (Italy), Special Representative on Fighting Organized Crime; Kamil Aydin (Türkiye), Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT); and CCT Vice-Chair Emanuele Loperfido (Italy); as well as CCT members Tsogtbaatar Damdin (Mongolia), Paula Cardoso (Portugal), Jevrosima Pejovic (Montenegro), and Ricardo Tarno (Spain).
Speaking at the opening session, CCT Chair Aydin highlighted a recent terror attack in his country as a painful reminder of the ongoing threat terrorism poses to democratic societies. “We must be loud and united in condemning all acts of terrorism, in every form and manifestation, regardless of who commits them or where they occur,” Aydin said. “Terrorism is criminal, unjustifiable and it should never be associated with any religion, nationality or ethnic group.”
Special Representative Zoffili, while addressing the thematic session on the nexus between organized crime and terrorism, underscored how criminal and terrorist networks increasingly share know-how, resources and routes to perpetuate their criminal plans. Ultimately, he stressed that understanding this complex nexus is key for more effectively tackling both phenomena, which feed on each other. “The last thing we need is wicked terrorist ideals bonding structurally with organized crime resources,” he concluded.
The gathering provided also a unique opportunity to share information on regional trends and highlight local parliamentary efforts, with a particular focus on conflicts in East Europe, Middle East and the Sahel. The special vulnerability of youth and the misuse of new technologies for terrorist purposes were characterized as critical developments in all regions. “Terrorist groups are likely to capitalize on the chaos, desperation and displacement caused by conflicts and crises around the globe for recruitment, resource acquisition, and the spread of extremist ideologies,” said CCT Vice-Chair Loperfido.
Finally, in handing over the Presidency of the Coordination Mechanism to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, CCT Chair Kamil Aydin highlighted key accomplishments of the two consecutive years of the OSCE PA’s Presidency, including the organization of four official meetings of the Mechanism in Doha, Vienna, Istanbul and Rome, as well as four Parliamentary Policy Dialogues on key shared counter-terrorism priorities. These initiatives, he said, helped build awareness on issues such as AI, border security, youth and human rights.
Moreover, the OSCE PA represented the Mechanism in numerous international and regional fora, promoting parliamentary engagement in the fight against terrorism around the world, Aydin said.
This led the Mechanism to progressively engage more and more Assemblies – now including participants from Africa, Asia, Europe, the MENA region, and Latin America – thus making it the only, credible global platform for co-operation and dialogue on equal footing among lawmakers on counter-terrorism.
For more information on the work of the CCT, please click here. Video of today’s meeting is available here.
