On 26 August 2021, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) participated in a high-level international forum — alongside representatives of Governments, international and regional organizations, private-sector entities, civil society organizations, and academic institutions — to discuss the threat of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including extreme right-wing (or ethically and racially motivated) terrorism.
The two-day forum was organized by the University of Bergen, in collaboration with the Khalifa Ihler Institute and the Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right, in the context of the 10-year commemoration of the terrorist attacks carried out in Norway on 22 July 2011.
“The best way to remember the cruel and tragic attack in Norway 10 years ago is to jointly commit to further work to stop extremist radicalization and terrorist content online,” said Erik Tonning, a Professor at the University of Bergen.
Recalling the 77 victims of the 2011 attacks, Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, CTED Executive Director, stated, “We mourn with the families of the victims and stand in solidarity with the survivors. Today’s conversation is an important step forward in our counter-terrorism efforts, as we strive towards justice for the victims and survivors of terrorism”.
Assistant Secretary-General Coninsx also reaffirmed CTED’s commitment to countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations across the globe.
CTED representatives also addressed the threat posed by extreme right-wing terrorist groups and individuals, highlighting recent trends and areas that might require further evidence-based research to assist practitioners and policymakers to develop a tailored approach to this form of terrorism, as well as issues relating to extreme right-wing terrorists’ use of the Internet and how that threat might be addressed within the framework of the Bergen Plan of Action.
The forum concluded with a question-and-answer session focusing on the future roles of communities, practitioners, institutions and Governments in countering the global terrorist threat.
Further information about the Bergen Plan of Action can be found here.