Following on the heels of the October 16 release of The Digest of Organized Crime by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a second new publication entitled "The Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes," (pdf) designed to provide practical guidance to Member States for more effective investigation and prosecution of terrorist cases involving the Internet, was recently released by the UNODC. It is viewed as the first of its kind and was produced in collaboration with the United Nations Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force.

Speaking at the launch of the new publication, UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov said, “Potential terrorists use advanced communications technology often involving the Internet to reach a worldwide audience with relative anonymity and at low cost. Just as Internet use among regular, lawful citizens has increased in the past few years, terrorist organizations also make extensive use of this indispensable global network for many different reasons.”

The new publication comprises examples of actual legal cases and “provides guidance on current legal frameworks and practice at the national and international levels relating to the criminalization, investigation and prosecution of terrorist cases involving the Internet.” The publication also emphasizes the need for continuing improvement in cooperation between criminal justice systems and the private sector, along with “international cooperation particularly where the preservation and retention of internet-related data takes place in several jurisdictions.”