Terrorism is an ever evolving and growing threat to world security, destabilizing communities, governments, and societies in many parts of the world and causing harm to civilian populations. One of the key factors in reducing the capabilities of and eventually eliminating terrorist organizations is to negate their ability to recruit new members. Unfortunately, issues such as poor education, lack of opportunity in the labor market, human rights violations, and communal isolation continue to drive vulnerable people towards extremism. Because terrorist groups often target the most vulnerable members of society for recruitment, children are also a major demographic susceptible to their influence, especially in areas with poor school infrastructure. Additionally, in the age of social media, recruitment has never been easier for terrorist organizations with the ability to spread propaganda and diffuse radical ideas through online chat rooms and forums across the globe.
Current United Nations legislation seeks to address the narratives used by terrorist groups to expand their membership. By involving community and religious leaders, member states can work to bring down the harmful messages that drive extremism, and work to establish new and more positive views centered around peace and progress. While this is a good step in the right direction, the underlying issues that cause people to turn to terrorist groups still need to be addressed. Additionally, the social media avenues through which terrorist groups recruit remain largely unaddressed, enabling them to expand their influence and recruit new members far beyond their traditional areas of operation.
In order to limit the recruitment capabilities of terrorist groups, the committee should look to address every aspect of terrorist recruitment; from the underlying causes driving people to join terrorist groups, to the methods used by recruiters and the forms of communication they utilize to reach vulnerable people. The committee should also consider the importance of working with local leaders and organizations to build healthier communities where everyone has a voice. In doing so, the ability for terrorist groups to grow and project their power will be greatly diminished, creating a safer and more peaceful world in which violent extremism has no place.
Focus Questions:
- How can we mitigate human rights violations and socioeconomic hardships that lead to a rise in terrorist recruits?
- How does social media play a role in recruitment, and what can be done to address it?
- What role should schools and education systems play in preventing recruitment?
Useful Links:
United Nations Global Programme on Preventing and Countering Terrorism 2022-2027
https://www.unodc.org/res/terrorism/aboutus/UNODC_TPB_New_Global_Programme_abridged_online.pdf
Landing Page for Study on Children Targeted for Recruitment
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/justice-and-prison-reform/strive/targeted-by-terrorists_-child-recruitment–exploitation-and-reintegration-in-indonesia–iraq-and-nigeria.html
