Presiding over the 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference held in Tangier, Abdellatif Hammouchi warned of the biggest challenges facing the world today, with a special emphasis on the importance of creating a common front to deal with the terrorist threat

Morocco warns of global expansion of terrorist threat

hammouchi seguridad arabe tanger 2 — 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference held in Tangier

Khadija Taouil

Updated: 11/12/23

Speaking at the opening session, the Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, stressed that "the organization of this event by Morocco and in the city of Tangier reflects the Kingdom's commitment to consolidate security and ensure stability throughout the Arab region which is facing increasing flows of irregular migrants through organized crime networks."

Hammouchi noted that this meeting comes at a time marked by the resurgence of various forms of cross-border crime in different countries around the world, and in a context open to numerous security challenges; given the rise of the terrorist threat and its links to cross-border organized crime networks, especially in the Sahel and Sahara countries.

The 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference opened on Wednesday in Tangier with the participation of senior security officials including the Secretary General of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior, the President of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the President of the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) and the heads of police and security of some twenty Arab countries, as well as six regional and international organizations.

This two-day conclave was an opportunity to discuss various security issues such as the use of modern technologies in the fight against terrorism and organized crime. It was also an opportunity to present the recommendations of the conferences of heads of security and committee meetings held within the framework of the General Secretariat throughout the year 2023.

hammouchi seguridad arabe tanger 1 — 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference held in Tangier

Cybercrime

"In the years following the pandemic, security services have observed an increase in cybercrime indicators and a proliferation of fraud and cyber extortion cases, which pose a serious threat to national economies, national security and citizens' personal data," stressed Abdelatif Hammouchi highlighting the need to form a common security front capable of dealing with the terrorist threat and criminal networks, by eradicating training bases, drying up sources of funding and ending the safe havens of criminal networks.

Combining the security aspect with the need to coordinate efforts and exchange experiences in order to ensure an effective fight and a resolute response to all criminal phenomena and the use of new technologies in terrorist operations, the conference shed light on the humanitarian dimension of police and security agencies to promote the social role of the police and enable them to optimally carry out their security missions in the service of the nation and its citizens.

The Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance stressed "Morocco's commitment to support Arab and international cooperation and strengthen mechanisms to combat terrorism and various forms of organized crime," expressing the readiness of Moroccan security services to share their experience with all Member States in order to address criminal risks and threats.

Marrakech to host the Interpol General Assembly in 2025

Broadcast during the presentation of Morocco's candidature to host the 93rd General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), to be held in Marrakech in 2025, the video presented by the DGSN during the Tangier conclave showed the participants the development and modernization of Morocco and its security forces.

In the same vein, the Secretary General of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior, Mohammed Ben Ali Koeman, underlined that the choice of Morocco as host country of the 93rd session of the General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is a recognition of the distinguished place occupied today by the North African country equipped with all the necessary facilities and infrastructure to ensure the success of large-scale events.

Noting that the organization of this conference in Tangier will contribute to strengthening the position of the Arab world in international police cooperation, Mr. Koeman also praised the choice of the theme "the use of modern technologies in the fight against terrorism and organized crime", and its application to cybercrime and acts of terrorism or drug trafficking among other forms of organized crime.

For his part, the President of Interpol, Ahmed Naser Al Raisi, praised Morocco's development and the efficiency and professionalism of its security institutions, which make the Kingdom a haven of security and peace and a reliable partner in efforts to build a safer and more stable world.

The conference heard, on the one hand, a presentation on the Moroccan experience in the fight against cybercrime, in particular the legal and regulatory framework. On the other hand, the Qatari security delegation gave a presentation on Qatar's experience in organizing and securing the 2022 World Cup.

hammouchi seguridad arabe tanger 4 — 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference held in Tangier

Acknowledgements

By way of closing, Ben Ali Koeman presented the recommendations of the 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference and revealed the list of countries awarded the prize for the best awareness films produced by security institutions and departments in the framework of their communicative and humanitarian missions.

In this regard, the Kingdom of Morocco, represented by the DGSN, won the award for the best awareness-raising film in the field of community policing, after presenting an institutional video highlighting the sacrifices made by police officers during assistance and rescue operations following the Al Haouz earthquake.

In collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior, the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN) brings together, at the 47th Arab Police and Security Leaders Conference, representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the African Union Police Cooperation Mechanism (Afripol), the European Union Police Training Agency (Europol), the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) and the Arab Police Sports Union (USAP), among other organizations.

It should be recalled that most of the participants in the security conclave come from Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Tunisia, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, the Sultanate of Oman, Palestine, Qatar, the Comoros Islands, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania and Yemen.

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