Mr. Jason Wiseman (EU Parliament) speaking during EFSAS Side-event at the 39th Session of the UNHRC
18-09-2018, Geneva
Mr. Jason Wiseman, Special Advisor to the Committee on Terrorism in the EU Parliament, Research Analyst at the NATO Association of Canada and Former General Secretary of the Atlantic Treaty Association, described in-depth the counter-terrorism strategies that the EU member States need to deploy in order to combat the spread of violent extremism. He highlighted three main topics throughout his speech: "the approach that member States adopt against terrorism, the current threat environment in Europe, and the actions the EU and NATO undertake in order to address this threat".
According to Mr. Wiseman, the terrorism phenomenon carries two main factors, namely the motivational and operational capabilities necessary to commit terrorist activities. Therefore, in order to be effective in countering terrorism, countries and counter-terrorism strategies need to counter both the motivational and operational capacities of terrorist groups and individual terrorists. Mr. Wiseman further argued that combating terrorism should happen preemptively and preventively, since the deterrent factor is essential to ceasing extremist groups’ mission. He reiterated that the centralization of information and coordination are essential elements, as otherwise military establishments, law enforcement agencies, criminal justice bodies and politicians would fail to respond to the devastating repercussions of terrorism and radicalization. Another major concern discussed by Mr. Wiseman was the disperse of foreign fighters and the setting up of new safe heavens and war zones. He proposed that European counter terrorism officials need to re-orientate their strategies and tactics to address the rise of terrorism, which takes place across the globe.
Mr. Jason Wiseman (EU Parliament) speaking during EFSAS Side-event at the 39th Session of the UNHRC
