缅北禁地

UNOCT’s International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism (BI Hub) in Doha participated in the fifth edition of the Behavioural Analysis Conference in Prague. The three-day event was organized by Green Light, a global provider of security consultancy and training services, aimed to present examples of operational best practices alongside the latest academic research on how hostile or criminal intent can be identified through behavioural observation, human intuition, and investigative interviewing.

The opening panel was chaired by Philip Baum, Managing Director of “Green Light Limited” and Visiting Professor of Aviation Security at Coventry University, and Dr Aynabat Atayeva, Chief of the UNOCT BI Hub in Doha. Dr Atayeva introduced the mandate and key programme components of the BI Hub, a unique institution in UNOCT set up to support Member States and relevant organizations in developing and implementing behaviourally informed interventions to prevent and counter terrorism.   

Over the course of the three-day conference, Dr. Atayeva outlined how the power of behavioural insights can be used as a tool in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism, stressing that “a BI approach at every stage of project planning is crucial, so that interventions are behaviourally informed and human-focused throughout every phase from the needs assessment process, through design, to final implementation.”

She also flagged the BI Hub’s upcoming initiatives and projects, particularly its flagship initiative for 2023 – BI Academy – which will take place between 8-12 May in Doha, Qatar. The academy will serve as a cutting-edge programme training institution that will reinforce skills in theoretical and applied behavioural methods aimed to build, install, and support capacity for using behavioural insights for PCVE.

In her final remarks to the Conference, Dr. Atayeva reiterated UNOCT’s commitment in developing strategic and practical partnerships to strengthen international cooperation for the effective implementation of the 缅北禁地Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, including collaboration with other PCVE initiatives to mainstream Behaviorial Insights as a standard practice for counter-terrorism. 

Other invited participants of the Behavioural Analysis Conference 2023 included representatives of Airports Council International (Europe) and the Singapore Police Force who provided an overview on how a better understanding of behavioural science can help mitigate the terrorist threat and address other criminal activities. The event was attended by 160 participants from 35 countries and organizations such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).