CNPIC PARTICIPATION IN THE WEST AFRICAN EXPERT CONFERENCE ON COMBATING TERRORIST THREATS AGAINST VULNERABLE TARGETS

The CNPIC participated in the West African Expert Conference on Terrorist Threats Against Vulnerable Targets, organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and held in Rabat, Morocco, from June 11 to 13, 2025.

The event brought together law enforcement agencies from Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and Togo, as well as experts from the French and Spanish embassies in Morocco, the CNPIC, the African Union Counter-Terrorism Center (AUCTC), UNOCT, and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), among others, who participated in the discussions.

The main objective of this conference is to promote a platform that allows for coordination between experts, the dissemination of best practices, and the exchange of information, as well as to consolidate cooperation at the subregional level, aimed at prevention, neutralization, and effective recovery in the face of terrorist threats against vulnerable targets, with special attention to the protection of critical infrastructure and public spaces.

During the conference, participants addressed the main challenges related to terrorist threats against vulnerable targets from a global, regional, and national perspective. They highlighted the importance of international cooperation, the exchange of best practices, and the need for coordinated approaches between the public and private sectors.

Participants analyzed protection measures for critical infrastructure and public spaces, as well as risk and vulnerability assessment mechanisms. The importance of integrating human rights and gender considerations into security policies was also underscored.

The conference concluded with a simulation exercise focused on crisis management in the event of a terrorist attack, which allowed response protocols to be tested and the operational preparedness of the actors involved to be reinforced.