5-6 December 2024, Rome, Italy – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), with its Centre for Global Studies (CGS), contributed to two key events, co-organized by the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) – Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, OSCE PA, the Shura Council of Qatar, and hosted by the Italian Parliament in Rome.

PAM was represented by a High-Level Delegation, which included Hon. Giulio Centemero (Italy), PAM Vice-President; Hon. Rita Superman (Cyprus), PAM Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism; Hon. Abdelouahab Yagoubi (Algeria), PAM Rapporteur on Artificial Intelligence; Dr. Marco Emanuele, CGS Senior Researcher, and the PAM Secretariat.

The first event, held on 5 December, entitled Fourth Parliamentary Policy Dialogue On Countering The Use Of Artificial Intelligence And New Technologies For Terrorist Purposes, was a significant opportunity to present the findings of the PAM recently published report on “The Malicious Use of AI and Emerging Technologies by Terrorist and Criminal Groups: Impact on Security, Legislation, and Governance”, produced by its Centre for Global Studies (CGS), in partnership with the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the UNOCT.

The session was marked by the detailed contribution of Hon. Yagoubi who highlighted the urgent need for timely regulation to avoid the misuse of AI and Emerging Technologies by terrorist and criminal groups, emphasizing that the rapid evolution of these technologies, if left unchecked, poses significant risks to international security.

The conclusions of the report were further discussed by Dr. Marco Emanuele, who presented the Global Permanent Parliamentary Observatory on the Misuse of AI and Emerging Technologies, serviced by the PAM-CGS’ office in San Marino, which serves as a central hub for monitoring and assessing the impact of these technologies on global security, as well as the publication of a daily and weekly Digest, providing updates, insights, and developments related to AI and Emerging Technologies.

On the following day, 6 December, PAM further contributed to the Sixth Meeting Of The Coordination Mechanism For Parliamentary Assemblies On Counter-Terrorism, where Hon. Superman intervened, reporting the current trends and developments of the threats posed by terrorism and organized crime in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions, as well as in their geographical proximity.

At the end of the meeting, PAM was elected, by acclamation, at the Presidency of the Coordination Mechanism. During this important tenure PAM is committed to enhancing the effectiveness and inclusiveness of the two pillars of the Mechanism: the strategically important “policy dialogue”, and the “operational coordination” a technical networking among participating Secretariats and the UN.

In his concluding remarks, Hon. Centemero highlighted that assuming the Presidency of the Coordination Mechanism represents a great honor and responsibility for PAM, underscoring a shared aspiration to foster parliamentary contributions to existing global efforts and strategies  to prevent and counter terrorism and transnational organized crime.

In line with its mission, PAM, assisted by CGS, will continue to foster research and initiatives to counter terrorism, particularly addressing the misuse of AI and Emerging Technologies, while contributing to the implementation of the UN Global Digital Compact, annexed to the UN Pact for the Future, adopted during the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024.

In this regard the upcoming 19th UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, will be another significant occasion to present the findings and conclusions of the CGS recent report on AI.

Looking ahead, as announced by Ambassador Dr. Abdulsalam AlMadani, PAM’s Roving Ambassador for the GCC and Chairman of CGS, PAM-CGS is exploring the possibility of organizing a high-level session on the “Trust Path & Reputation Summit” in 2025, in the framework of the MED Dialogues. This session will be a critical platform to evaluate the progress in implementing the UN Pact for the Future, with a strong focus on fostering trust, enhancing multilateral global governance, and addressing the pressing challenges of the digital age. //