Global Security Forum comes to close in Doha
THE three-day th Global Security Forum, held virtually and in person under the theme Collaboration or rivalry Global Security Dynamics in Transition’, concluded in Doha on Thursday.
The forum, which was attended by local and international officials, UN representatives, officials, security experts, academics, and the media, centered on the need to strike a balance between cooperation and competition in order to ensure security and address important challenges related to management and development issues, as well as the rapidly evolving geopolitical dynamics.On the final day, a session addressed the future of countering violent extremism, focusing on efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism, as well as ways to collaborate with local communities, civil society, and faith-based organisations to develop counterextremism strategies.
The speakers in the session Disinformation and Conspiracies Assessing Threats and Risks on the Internet discussed the dangers of spreading misinformation and conspiracies in cyberspace, as well as the potential consequences for social cohesion, politics, and security. The speakers in the Security and Development Dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa session discussed the social, political, and economic challenges faced by many Arab countries over the past year, as well as developments in the region over the past decade, particularly the development of civil nonmilitary society work.
The speakers discussed the risks posed by misinformation and online conspiracies, as well as the roles of Internet and communication technologies, social media companies, and governments in confronting these threats.
Concerning security, competition, and cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, participants discussed the complex and interconnected challenges that countries face, such as climate change, the COVID-1 pandemic, and the risks of violent extremism, from South to Southeast Asia and the Pacific region.
The closing session, titled Security and Development Dynamics in Africa, featured speakers who discussed the spread of extremist entities in several Middle Eastern and African countries, which has exacerbated existing security and development challenges while intersecting with local conflicts. The session centered on the region’s challenges, as well as the impact of terrorism and violent extremism on security and governance, particularly in light of the spread of the COVID-1 pandemic.
Soufan Center co-organised the forum with Qatar International Academy for Security Studies (QIASS), Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Nordic Safe Cities, the Erie Neff Fund,
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