UN COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMITTEE - BUILDING RESILIENCE OF COMMUNITIES TO PREVENT RADICALIZATION TO TERRORISM
29 April 2024
Statement submitted in writing
Australia would like to thank the Counter-Terrorism Committee, CTED and the briefers for convening this important meeting.
The matters we are considering today are very timely for Australia.
We are still recovering from the shocking act of terrorism which took place in Wakeley, Sydney, earlier this month.
Attacks like this deeply affect our communities and challenge our social cohesion.
Australia rejects terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms, and we strongly condemn those who seek to radicalise, incite violence, and propagate hatred.
While global conflicts and crises continue to strain our social cohesion, the diversity of our nation is also our strength.
It is through this lens that we approach the challenge of countering violent extremism in our globally-connected and multicultural society.
Violent extremist narratives are often promulgated on social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps.
These platforms can act as a vehicle for fuelling grievances and enabling radicalisation.
One way to address this is through dedicated strategic communication programs that deliver positive alternative narratives.
This helps build the resilience of vulnerable individuals against terrorist and violent extremist narratives, propaganda, and messaging online.
Noting the exponential growth of artificial intelligence powered technologies, we are concerned about the potential for new technologies to be misused and exploited by terrorists.
We are working with international partners to reduce the spread of terrorist and violent extremist content through these technologies.
We actively promote a free, open, and secure internet, while taking steps to minimise the physical and online threat that extremism poses to communities.
We continuously review our frameworks to ensure legislation, policy and operating procedures are effective and adaptive to the threat environment.
This includes powers to remove terrorist and violent extremist content online, which is critical for reducing its spread.
Terrorist acts seek to undermine our values, our national character, and our resilience.
We value the collaborative efforts of our global partners to generate practical initiatives that strengthen our collective resilience to terrorism and violent extremism, including through forums like this one.
Thank you.