The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) convened an expert briefing entitled “Checkpoint Reached: The Prevention of Violent Extremism and Online Gaming” at United Nations Headquarters in New York. It was organized in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations and the Department of Home Affairs of Australia.
The briefing brought together Member States, United Nations entities, academic experts, and representatives from the gaming and technology sectors to advance evidence-based discussion on how online gaming ecosystems intersect with terrorism and violent extremism, and how these rapidly evolving digital spaces can be more effectively engaged from a prevention and resilience perspective.
Opening the event, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan, H.E. Mr. Tomohiro Mikanagi, highlighted that the international community has reached a critical "checkpoint" in its journey to secure digital spaces. He noted that while previous efforts focused on identifying threats "hidden in plain sight," today’s mission must evolve toward proactive, evidence-based action. Ambassador Mikanagi specifically underscored the necessity of multi-stakeholder cooperation, welcoming the participation of Sony Interactive Entertainment as providing an invaluable contribution to the shared goal of safeguarding the gaming ecosystem and leveraging its "pro-social benefits"- such as community building and collective problem-solving to foster resilience against violent extremist narratives.
Representing the Department of Home Affairs of Australia, Ms. Briony Daley Whitworth, Political Coordinator and Counsellor (Political) at the Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations, noted that, “In the current multilateral context, where political divisions are widening, mandates are being scaled back, and efficiencies are required to meet the organization’s fiscal realities, projects like this, and events like this, become more important than ever – to drive the conversation forward, keep momentum on key issues and provide tangible and practical action to address emerging threats.”
The briefing highlighted the role and relevance of online gaming in the context of terrorism and violent extremism, building on recent work by UNICRI and UNOCT, the event featured the regional study Level Up: Gaming and Violent Extremism in Africa and joint programmatic engagement in Southeast Asia funded by the Department of Home Affairs of Australia.,
The meeting explored how terrorists and their supporters have already begun to adapt to gaming environments. Experts described how the use of in-game chats, modified game content, and gaming culture can embed harmful narratives and foster a sense of belonging among vulnerable users. The event also dived into the pro-social benefits of gaming and the role these ecosystems can play in prevention and resilience.
Mr. Christophe Monier, the Secretary-General’s Representative on UNICRI’s Board of Trustees, observed that “despite these risks, the sector remains at a formative stage, offering a timely opportunity for early, preventative engagement.”
Mr. Mauro Miedico, Director for Capacity-Building in UNOCT and Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre in UNOCT, noted that gaming has become a significant digital social environment that merits tailored policy attention—not only to understand emerging risks, but also to explore how these spaces can contribute positively to prevention, resilience, and social cohesion.
Experts equally reflected that online games could foster social connection, critical thinking, and pro-social identities, and explored how games – when ethically and responsibly designed – can be a tool to support efforts to prevent radicalization to violent extremism, particularly among youth.
A key component of the event was the announcement by the Permanent Mission of Japan of funding from the Government of Japan for a new joint UNOCT-UNICRI initiative. This initiative, entitled “Checkpoint Reached: Gaming and Violent Extremism in Southeast Asia,” will focus on gaming-based prevention approaches, working with developers and gaming communities in Southeast Asia to explore innovative game concepts for prevention-oriented game concepts and engagement models.
Closing the event, Mr. Kentaro Matsumura, Counter-Terrorism Expert at the Permanent Mission of Japan, emphasized that this new initiative represents Japan’s commitment to leading the global frontier of "Gaming Safety.” Pointing to an alarming "remarkable drop" in the average age of youth radicalized to violence “as extremist groups shift recruitment and propaganda to gaming and gaming adjacent platforms”, he explained the project which aims to leverage gaming as the primary social world of the youth generation to build digital resilience and social good directly within the digital ecosystems where they interact, as well as called upon more Member States to join this quest as we lead up to the ninth review of the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy.
