Delegates at the Interpol conference on ‘Preventing the Emergence of the Next Generation of Terrorists’ identified information-sharing and community relations as key elements againt the global terrorist threat.
The internet and conflict zones were also recognised by participants as areas of specific concern in terms of recruitment, learning and development of terrorist skills.
Other key areas identified as requiring cohesive action include:
prevention and preparedness training for local law enforcement;
an overall strategy to further develop relationships and partnerships between law enforcement and local communities to prevent the emergence of the next generation of terrorists;
improved co-ordination and communication between national and international law enforcement agencies; and
implementation of relevant and up-to-date legislation in response to the increasingly complex and evolving nature of the terrorist threat.
Delegates also recognised the use of the internet by Al Qaeda and other established terrorist groups in encouraging increased radicalisation towards violence through the communication and dispersal of propaganda material and availability of instructions on bomb-making and the use of arms.
The use of falsified travel documents by terrorists was also acknowledged as posing a clear threat to national security, and enabling border point access to Interpol tools such as the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database was recognised as an important safeguard to prevent terrorists from travelling unchecked.
What they say
"The changing nature of terrorism is a challenge to law enforcement throughout the world, and is one which we can only effectively face through increased communication and co-operation," said Interpol’s Executive Director of Police Services, Jean-Michel Louboutin. "The areas for action highlighted by this conference will build on the work being carried out by Interpol’s National Central Bureaus to fulfil the counter-terrorism resolutions approved by our General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro."
More than 200 delegates attended the three-day meeting in Lyon, which brought together counter-terrorism specialists, law enforcement officials, intelligence analysts and academics from 80 countries.
