The delegation of the Parliamentary Division of the Kingdom of Bahrain participated, headed by MP Ahmed Al-Salloum, Chairman of the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, and with the participation of Dr. Abdulaziz Abel, a member of the Shura Council, in the work of the Global Parliamentary Conference to Combat Terrorism and Prevent Violent Extremism, which was held in the city of Istanbul in the Republic of Turkey during the period from 7 to 8 October 2025, with the participation of parliamentary delegations from various countries of the world and representatives of international and regional organizations.
The conference, which is organized by the United Nations Office in cooperation with the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Qatari Shura Council and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), aims to strengthen the role of parliaments in international efforts aimed at combating terrorism and preventing violent extremism, through exchanging experiences and discussing best legislative and oversight practices.
The conference dealt with six sessions on several main topics, most notably the legal and political challenges in the absence of a unified international definition of terrorism, and ways to ensure the compatibility of national legislation with international humanitarian law and human rights standards, in addition to strengthening international parliamentary cooperation to achieve global security, peace and stability.
Through the intervention of Representative Ahmed Al-Salloum, a member of the House of Representatives, the head of the delegation reviewed the legislative efforts presented by the Kingdom of Bahrain and the roles assigned to modernize the legal system to keep pace with regional and international challenges. Among the most prominent of these recently amended legislations are:
– The Law on Protecting Society from Terrorist Acts, which was amended to include more effective tools in confronting extremism, while ensuring a balance between security and human rights.
– The Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Law, which has been updated in accordance with international standards.
– The Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, which included amendments to strengthen legal guarantees and achieve prompt justice.
The conference participants stressed the importance of unifying concepts and terminology related to terrorism in a way that contributes to achieving harmony between countries and enhances the effectiveness of international efforts in confronting this cross-border phenomenon, especially the role of national parliaments in presenting legislative initiatives in this regard.
