22 September 2025, San Marino – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean PAM’s Centre for Global Studies (PAM-CGS), in partnership with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) of the United Nations Security Council, will convene on 24 September a High-Level Side-Event entitled “The Role of Parliamentarians in the Regulation and Prevention of the Misuse of Spyware”.
The High-Level Side-Event is the result of a broader engagement of PAM during the High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will take place in New York, from 22 to 28 September 2025, under the topic “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights”.
Over the years, PAM-CGS has cultivated an excellent cooperation with CTED, developing in a number of joint initiatives and research projects.
Most recently, PAM-CGS produced the report “Spyware Misuse: Legislative, Governance, and Judicial Considerations, Historical Evolution, and Technical Insights”, which provides an overview of the risks and opportunities associated with the integration of spyware in counter-terrorism efforts, and highlights the importance of robust legislative, regulatory, and oversight mechanisms.
The Side Event will serve as an opportunity to present and discuss the preliminary findings of the report, as well as to identify appropriate and effective legislative and policy guidelines to prevent the illegitimate use of spyware, promoting transparency, and accountability when integrating such tools in counter-terrorism responses.
The meeting will be opened by Ms. Natalia Gherman, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Executive Director of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and Hon. Giulio Centemero (Italy), PAM President.
Moving forward, PAM-CGS will continue to advancing its strategic cooperation with CTED and will engage in the assessment of the implications of EU legislation on Artificial Intelligence at both the regional and global levels, with the outcomes of this work to be presented during the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Week in New York, in June 2026.
With their engagement in the 80th Session of the UNGA, PAM and CGS will remain committed to supporting the United Nations in shaping a future anchored in peace, security, and sustainable development. //