Ambassador of the European Union to India Hervé Delphin has called on for a joint and regional effort to tackle the challenges posed by terrorism and the exploration of the internet for extremist propaganda. Addressing the gathering at the EU-India conference in New Delhi today, Mr. Delphin highlighted that the EU has a longstanding commitment and substantial experience in addressing the challenges posed by extremist and terrorist content online. He noted that the online network can reflect both the bright and dark sides of human activities. Former Foreign Secretary of India and current chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Ambassador Dr. Kanwal Sibal said that the two-day discussions on terrorist content online promise to be substantive.

He added that addressing this issue requires international collaboration. The European Union, in collaboration with the Global Counter-Terrorism Council and the Ministry of External Affairs, has organised a two-day EU-India Track 1.5 Conference on combating terrorist content online. This regional conference aims to address the multifaceted challenges posed by violent extremism in the digital sphere. It seeks to enhance counter-terrorism dialogues and partnerships in the region, consistent with the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which foresees a deeper and stronger engagement with partners that share common goals and face common challenges. The meeting will delve into topics such as the current context regarding processes of radicalisation in online spaces, especially on smaller and decentralised platforms. It will bring together experts, policymakers, academia, and law enforcement officials from South Asia and Europe who are at the forefront of the fight against digital extremism.