Figures in counter terrorism are set to gather this April at the World Counter Terror Congress, at the Counter Terror Expo at London Olympia on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21 and 22. Representatives from the Home Office, GCHQ, Parliament, NATO and the Metropolitan Police join academics and research institution staff to address threats to national security.
Confirmed speakers include Charles Farr, Director of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT) at the Home Office, and Conservative MP Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former Foreign Secretary and Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, to discuss the extent to which the UK security services can protect the country from terrorism. This session, which takes place from 10.30am to 11am on day one, April 21, will examine the UK’s ability to anticipate and prevent home-grown terrorism, methods of dealing with detainees, and reconciling the conflict between privacy, security and IT and communications.
The changing nature of international terrorism will be addressed by Dr Jamie Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Emerging Security Challenges Division, NATO from 11.30am to noon on April 21. Dr Shea will analyse the security challenges facing NATO members due to developments in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine.
Mark Rowley, Head of Specialist Operations and Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police, will offer an assessment of the threat from home-grown terrorism and extremism and the responses.
AC Rowley said: “I am very pleased to be invited to speak at the World Counter Terrorism Congress. Recent terrorist attacks in a number of different countries have reinforced the need to raise and maintain public awareness levels. As well as needing to remain alert, it is imperative that law enforcement organisations, business and the public understand the nature of the threat and what they should be doing about it. Good preparation is a way of reducing the impact of terrorist incidents – and helps prevent them from happening in the first place”.
Richard Alcock, Director of Communication Capability Directorate, at the Home Office, will cover Communications, security and privacy in the digital, post-Snowden age. Representatives from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Chatham House, King’s College London, the Mackenzie Institute and the Quilliam Foundation will also speak about: preventing the threats posed by lone wolf terrorists; terrorist financing; the proliferation of digital terrorism; and managing the ‘jihadists’ returning to the UK.
Visit www.counterterrorexpo.com.
