SEARCCT conference in Malaysia to focus on emerging terrorism and extremism trends
KUALA LUMPUR: The Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), under Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, convened its second SEARCCT International Conference (SIC 2025) in the Malaysian capital.
Themed "Emerging Trends in Terrorism and Violent Extremism", the June 24–26 conference focused on the shifting dynamics and complexities of modern terrorism, and the regional and global collaboration required to counter it.
SIC 2025 featured five panel discussions on key and emerging issues related to Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), including the evolution of online radicalisation, technological shifts, and the role of artificial intelligence in terrorism and PCVE.
Other topics included the growing prevalence of lone actors and small cell tactics in the region, digital disinformation, social fragmentation, and regional approaches to PCVE encompassing policy, practice and collaboration.
"Following the success of the inaugural SIC in 2023, this year's event welcomed more than 200 local and international participants — twice the number from the previous conference.
"The participants were drawn from government bodies, the diplomatic corps, the security sector, academia, research institutions and civil society organisations," SEARCCT said in a statement.
The conference featured insights from experts and speakers representing organisations and institutions from Australia, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
In conjunction with Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship, SIC 2025 aligned with ASEAN's collective security and resilience agenda and highlighted Malaysia's leadership in driving regional stability through strengthened counter-terrorism initiatives, the centre said.
Recognising that terrorism and violent extremism transcend borders, SIC 2025 underscored ASEAN's commitment to addressing emerging security challenges, fostering regional collaboration, and advancing policy initiatives that align with the ASEAN Plan of Action to Prevent and Counter the Rise of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism (ASEAN PoA PCRVE) 2018–2025, the Bali Work Plan (2019–2025), and ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future.
Ahead of the conference, SEARCCT hosted the Sharing Together for Online Resilience Among Youth (STORY) regional workshop from June 20 to 23.
Themed "The Changemakers", the workshop brought together 30 youth leaders from all ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste to design peer-led solutions for digital resilience. Their innovative approaches were showcased at SIC 2025. — BERNAMA
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