Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08USUNNEWYORK412
2008-05-08 21:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
USUN New York
Cable title:  

UN REQUESTS INFORMATION ON COUNTERING THE USE OF

Tags:  PTER UNSC PREL AA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0033
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0412/01 1292157
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 082157Z MAY 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4229
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000412 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER UNSC PREL AA
SUBJECT: UN REQUESTS INFORMATION ON COUNTERING THE USE OF
THE INTERNET FOR TERRORIST PURPOSES


UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000412

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER UNSC PREL AA
SUBJECT: UN REQUESTS INFORMATION ON COUNTERING THE USE OF
THE INTERNET FOR TERRORIST PURPOSES



1. Action Request: Please see para 2.


2. USUN has received the following (para 3) letter from the
UN which requests information concerning terrorist use of the
internet and measures being taken by the U.S. to combat this
problem. Action Request. Response to UN requested by June

16.


2. BEGIN TEXT.

5 May 2008


Your Excellency,

We are writing to request your government's active
support for the Working Group on Countering the Use of the
Internet for Terrorist Purposes set up by the United Nations
Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF).

The CTITF, which consists of 24 UN system entities, is
working with Member States to facilitate implementation of
the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
(A/RES/60/288) - adopted by consensus by the General Assembly
in September 2006 -- in areas where UN system entities can
add value.

The Strategy includes agreement by Member States to
explore how to "coordinate efforts at the international and
regional level to counter-terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations on the Internet to "use the Internet as a tool
for countering the spread of terrorism, while recognizing
that States may require assistance in this regard," and to do
this "with due regard to confidentiality, respecting human
rights and in compliance with other obligations under
international law."

The Working Group on Countering the Use of the Internet
for Terrorist Purposes, of which we are the joint chairmen,
was formed to assist Member States in this endeavor. The
Working Group aims to identify and convene relevant
stakeholders to quantify and delineate the abuse of the
Internet for terrorist purposes and to explore possible ways
to combat this abuse at a national, regional and global
level, including what role the United Nations might play in
coordinating action among Member States.

In order to facilitate this objective, the Working Group
is currently conducting a mapping exercise to identify what
major legislation, conventions, initiatives and resources
exist nationally, regionally and internationally that may be
relevant to countering the use of the Internet for terrorist
purposes. We would be most grateful in this regard if, by 16
June 2008, you could kindly provide us with information on
how your State perceives the challenges posed by terrorist
use of the Internet and what measures it has introduced, or
considers introducing, to confront this problem. such
information might include, for example:

- Legal measures aimed at criminalizing and policing the
use of computer systems to carry out cyber attacks.

- Legal measures relevant to the issue of terrorist
planning or the dissemination of terrorist content -- for
example, incitement to carry out terrorist attacks,
the propagation of terrorist training material or the
seeking or transfer of funding for terrorism;

- Measures for protecting human rights online and
ensuring the freedom of access to the Internet in the context
of
attempts to combat terrorist use of the Internet:

- Projects aimed at exploring and researching the
dimensions of the online terrorist threat;

- Projects (online or otherwise) aimed at countering the
ideology of terrorist groups that is propagated over the
Internet;

- Information sharing and online training projects for
agencies involved in counter-terrorism;

- In general, projects aimed at cooperating with civil
society in combating terrorism online.

We would appreciate receiving any information on the
above and/or any observations or comments on the proposed
work of the Task Force in this area. Relevant information
and documents should be sent to Ms. Julie Brown at
brown26@un.org or by regular mail to the following address:

Room 904, Uganda House, 336 E. 45th St., New York, NY



10017.

If you would like any or all of the information you
provide to be treated as confidential, please mark your
correspondence accordingly.

We look forward to hearing from you.

With assurances of our highest consideration,

signed Robert Orr

Robert Orr
Chair, United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation
Task Force



signed Richard Barrett
Richard Barrett
Co-Chair, Working Group on Countering the Use of the
Internet for Terrorist Purposes.
Khalilzad