Two-day India-EU regional conference begins in New Delhi

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The European Union Representative to India, Ambassador Hervé Delphin, has called for joint regional efforts to address the challenges posed by the exploitation of the Internet for terrorism and extremist propaganda at the two-day ‘India-EU Regional Conference’ which began in New Delhi on August 21.

At this conference, Delphin has emphasized the European Union’s long-term commitment and extensive experience in combating extremist and terrorist content online.

He has highlighted the dual nature of the Internet, which can serve as a platform for both positive and negative human activities.

Focus on international cooperation

Former Foreign Secretary of India and current Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Dr. Kanwal Sibal has emphasized the importance of international cooperation in addressing the issue of online terrorism.

He said that the two-day conference on online terrorist content promises to be a platform for concrete discussions. The event underlines the need for global cooperation to effectively tackle the complex challenges posed by digital extremism.

Objectives of the Regional Conference

The EU has organised this two-day EU-India Track 1.5 Conference in collaboration with the Global Counter-Terrorism Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India.

The aim of the conference is to address the multi-faceted challenges posed by violent extremism in the digital sphere. It seeks to enhance counter-terrorism dialogue and partnerships in the region, in line with the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.

This strategy envisions deeper and stronger engagement with partners who share common goals and face similar challenges.

Key Discussion Areas

The conference will discuss a number of important topics, including the current context of radicalisation processes in the online space, with a special focus on smaller and decentralized platforms.

These platforms often serve as breeding grounds for extremist content and radicalisation, making them an important focus for discussions.

Bringing together experts and policymakers

The event will bring together a diverse group of participants including experts, policymakers, academics and law enforcement officials from South Asia and Europe.

These stakeholders are at the forefront of the fight against digital extremism and will share insights and strategies to counter the spread of terrorist content online.

The conference aims to foster stronger regional cooperation and develop effective solutions to the growing threat of online extremism.