The Shura Council State of Qatar

 The Shura Council participated in the Fourth Parliamentary Dialogue on Countering the Use of Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies for Terrorist Purposes and the Sixth Meeting of the Coordination Mechanism between Parliaments on Combating Terrorism, held over two days at the Italian Parliament in Rome.

The events were jointly organized by the Shura Council and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorisms Programme on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, based in Doha, in collaboration with the Italian Parliament.

The Council was represented at the events by HE Ahmed bin Ibrahim Al Malki and HE Issa bin Arar Al Rumaihi, members of the Council.

The Fourth Parliamentary Dialogue discussed global and regional challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence and modern technologies for terrorist purposes. In his speech, HE Al Malki emphasized that, under the guidance of Qatar’s wise leadership, the State of Qatar plays a leading role in enhancing international cooperation to combat terrorism.

He highlighted Doha’s hosting of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorisms Programme on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, which serves as an international platform to support parliamentary efforts in combating terrorism.

Al Malki underlined the importance of balancing the benefits of modern technologies with ensuring their use in ways that enhance national and regional security. He also noted the Shura Council's commitment to addressing issues related to artificial intelligence and its support for legislative frameworks to prevent the misuse of these technologies.

In the Sixth Meeting of the Coordination Mechanism between Parliaments on Combating Terrorism, which addressed shared challenges arising from the nexus between organized crime and terrorism, HE Al Rumaihi stressed the importance of strengthening international parliamentary cooperation to develop effective legislation aimed at combating the financing of terrorism and drying up its sources.
He highlighted the State of Qatar’s efforts in building strategic partnerships with international organizations to support global stability and pointed to Qatar's national legislative framework, which aligns with best international practices in counter-terrorism.

The Fourth Parliamentary Dialogue aimed to shed light on global and regional challenges associated with the use of modern technologies in carrying out terrorist activities. Sessions included discussions on how parliaments can support national, regional, and international entities in addressing these challenges, focusing on enhancing legislative frameworks to balance risk mitigation with leveraging technological innovations without hindering economic development. The dialogue also featured international and parliamentary experiences in countering terrorism through artificial intelligence and modern tools.

Meanwhile, the Sixth Meeting of the Coordination Mechanism between Parliaments on Combating Terrorism explored the relationship between organized crime and terrorism as one of the most pressing modern security challenges. The meeting discussed legislative measures required to strengthen parliament’s ability to address these challenges, including combating terrorism financing and preventing the use of hazardous materials for terrorist purposes. It also reviewed the mechanisms past activities and future plans to bolster international parliamentary cooperation in combating terrorism and preventing violent extremism.

On the sidelines of the events, HE Al Malki and HE Al Rumaihi met with HE President of the Qatar-Italy Friendship Group Salvatore Caiata, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Djibouti and Vice President of the African Parliamentary Union Abdou Deria, and HE Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Reinhold Lopatka. During these meetings, they discussed several topics of joint interest.