- Events
The Â鶹APP Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) / Â鶹APP Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme held an induction session to officially launch the work of the 2026 Tech for Victims of Terrorism Working Groups, on 16 July 2026.
This first-of-its-kind initiative is designed to harness the power of emerging technologies to improve support for victims and survivors of terrorism, particularly in underserved or high-need areas. It builds directly on the findings of the Gap Analysis of Digital Tools to Support Victims of Terrorism report launched in April 2026 and is part of the Tech for Victims of Terrorism project implemented with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office.
A Diverse, Global Coalition
Following a global call for nominations, 36 experts from 18 countries have been selected to join the initiative. The working groups bring together a highly diverse, multi-sectoral cohort of practitioners, policymakers, tech innovators, and advocates:
- Private Sector: 22%
- Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): 22%
- Academia: 22%
- Victims¡¯ Associations: 19%
- Governments: 11%
- International Organizations: 3%
Targeted Areas of Innovation
The 36 members will contribute to four specialized working groups aimed at translating key themes from the initiative's framework into practical, actionable outcomes:
- Co-designing digital tools responsibly with affected communities and victims of terrorism.
- Developing multilingual and culturally adaptive digital services.
- Ensuring robust data safety and security for victims' data in connected systems.
- Proactively protecting survivors from online harms and creating a safer digital environment.
Designing tools and solutions optimized for low-connectivity and low-resource contexts will be mainstreamed throughout this work.
Establishing a path towards victim-centred digital innovation
The virtual induction session focused on introductions between working group members, establishing core guiding principles, and setting out the practical workflows that will guide the groups over the coming months.
The primary goal of the working groups is to inform a new Toolkit for Tech-Enabled Support to Victims of Terrorism, scheduled for an official launch in December 2026. This toolkit will serve as a global blueprint for governments, industry, and civil society establish a clear path towards safe, responsible, and victim-centred digital innovation.