CCT delegation meets with Richard Hudson, 19 May 2025WASHINGTON, 21 May 2025 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pia Kauma (Finland) and Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism (CCT) Chair Kamil Aydin (Türkiye) led a delegation of several CCT members this week to Washington, DC, for a series of meetings with members of Congress, government officials, the intelligence and law enforcement community, and experts to discuss the latest terrorism trends and expand international co-operation in the fight against violent extremism.
Discussions focused on the various manifestations of terrorism and violent extremism, how they have evolved, and the priority areas of engagement today. Key topics discussed included the misuse of emerging technologies – such as artificial intelligence, drones and 3-D printing – for terrorist purposes, youth online radicalization to violent extremism, the emergence of so-called nihilistic violent extremist movements, the multifaceted nexus between terrorism and organized crime, and the need to vigorously counter terrorism financing, facilitated by the growing diffusion of crypto currencies.
The OSCE PA delegation met with representatives of the National Counterterrorism Center, the Council on Foreign Relations, the US State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau, and the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes. Extensive meetings were held also with members of both the Senate and the House, representing both parties, including members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Finally, the delegation paid tribute to the 184 people who died in the attack on Washington, DC, on 11 September 2001 at the National Pentagon Memorial.
CCT Vice-Chair Marc Veasey (United States) welcomed the delegation to Washington and noted that these official visits are instrumental to building greater understanding of the threats and challenges faced at the ground level. “I welcome the opportunity to share with my European colleagues the American experience in counter-terrorism and build international co-operation to combat our shared cross-border security threats,” Vice-Chair Veasey said. “While none of us has all of the answers, together we can learn and develop the strongest approach possible.”
Pia Kauma pays tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, Arlington, VA, 20 May 2025President Kauma stressed the importance of national parliaments enabling a critical exchange of information and knowledge among lawmakers, as well as the centrality of safeguarding fundamental freedoms and the rule of law while countering terrorism and violent extremism. “For more than two decades, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has placed counter-terrorism at the top of its agenda,” she said. “We must always remain vigilant in defending our societies against this scourge while ensuring that our common values are upheld. The experience of the United States in this field is critical and I am grateful to the US authorities for their commitment and hospitality.”
CCT Chair Aydin expressed the committee’s deep concern over the growing exposure of teenagers to violent extremist content, especially online, across the OSCE region. “This appalling trend is directly impacting on the cohesion of our societies and requires urgent responses at political and legislative levels – OSCE participating States should update their strategies to duly protect our youth, and therefore our future, from violence and terrorism by endorsing a whole-of-society approach, forging strong public-private partnerships with social media platforms, and placing education, media and information literacy and digital literacy at the very core of our joint efforts. This is precisely what our Assembly advocates for through a new resolution that I will table at our upcoming Annual Session in Porto,” he said.
The discussions over the past days of meetings served to strengthen parliamentary awareness and engagement in counter-terrorism by sharing key lessons learned and identifying top challenges that affect OSCE countries on both sides of the Atlantic. The findings of this week’s visit will be shared at the OSCE PA’s upcoming Annual Session in Porto, Portugal.
The CCT’s visit continues in New York with meetings at the United Nations Headquarters, the New York Police Department Counterterrorism Bureau, and the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial.
Photos of the CCT’s visit to the United States are available for public use on Flickr.
For more on the work of the CCT, please click here.
