The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) facilitated a workshop on “Strengthening Community Engagement in Implementing Security Council resolutions 1624 (2005) and 2178 (2014) and the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy” in Tunis, Tunisia, from 19 to 20 July 2017.
The workshop was organized in cooperation with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) – The Hague and the Human Security Collective, with the support of the Government of Tunisia and funding from the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT).
The event brought together representatives of Tunisia’s National Commission on the Fight against Terrorism (Commission Nationale de la Lutte contre le Terrorisme, CNLT); representatives of Tunisian ministries; civil-society and private-sector representatives; and international experts, including from other North African States. Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also participated.
The workshop featured a presentation by the Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who explained measures taken by the city to promote greater engagement with local communities, particularly youth, in countering radicalization leading to terrorism, including through job training and civic-engagement programmes.
CTED referred to the relevant Security Council resolutions identifying engagement with communities and other social actors as part of an effective approach to countering incitement and violent extremism.
Speakers also underlined the value of comprehensive approaches that took account of the underlying conditions conducive to terrorism and violent extremism, as well as the need to ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law in all counter-terrorism efforts.
The event provided an opportunity to explore ways in which Government bodies, civil society and the private sector can cooperate most effectively in implementing strategies to address the full range of counter-terrorism and CVE issues, including the question of factors that lead to terrorist activities, as highlighted in Security Council resolution 2129 (2013).
The United Nations Acting Resident Coordinator informed participants that the United Nations Country Team in Tunisia was ready to support all relevant efforts taken by the Government.