The 2026 International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism arrives at a particularly significant moment for the United Nations. This year marks 10 years since the launch of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and two decades since the adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS). As United Nations Member States prepare for the Strategy’s ninth review, these milestones offer a timely opportunity to reflect on a central premise that has guided the Organization’s efforts: long-term prevention measures must address the conditions conducive to terrorism while ensuring full respect for human rights, the rule of law and good governance.
This premise carries an important implication: prevention requires sustained national ownership. No multilateral initiative, however robust, can replace nationally driven policies rooted in local realities and owned by the communities they intend to serve. When States lead decisively – aligning institutions, resources and political will – prevention efforts can make a real impact.
Prevention as a governance and development imperative
Across regions, the emergence of violent extremism has been closely linked to governance deficits; social fragmentation; and limited economic and civic opportunities, particularly for young people. Persistent inequalities, discrimination, corruption, weak service delivery and unresolved grievances create conditions in which violent extremist narratives can resonate, especially amid rising conflict and climate-related emergencies.
Within the framework of GCTS, this governance dimension is most clearly reflected in Pillar I of the Strategy, which calls on Member States to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. In practice, this requires building responsive and accountable institutions; ensuring that justice and security sectors operate in line with human rights; expanding youth and women’s leadership and participation; and safeguarding civic space. It further requires investment in peacebuilding approaches – dialogue, reconciliation, community-driven development and social protection – that reduce vulnerabilities and widen pathways for inclusion and dignity.
At the same time, implementation of Pillar I is inseparable from the human rights and rule of law principles set out in Pillar IV. Experience has shown that counter-terrorism measures that infringe upon rights or discriminate against communities risk undermining their legitimacy and fuelling the very grievances that violent extremism exploits. Whole-of-society approaches and rights-based governance, anchored in due process, accountability and access to justice, are therefore indispensable to sustainable prevention.
Placing victims and state protection obligations at the centre
Victims of terrorism must remain at the heart of prevention efforts. Their voices and experiences highlight both the profound human costs of terrorism and the obligations of States to protect those within their jurisdiction. Under international human rights law, States have positive duties to take reasonable measures to prevent terrorist violence, protect individuals at risk, and ensure that victims receive justice, reparations and support services that uphold their dignity.
Fulfilling these obligations requires more than responding in the aftermath of attacks. It involves strengthening early warning capacities, investing in protective systems that are non-discriminatory and community-centred, and ensuring that institutions can act effectively while maintaining public trust. It also means engaging victims as partners whose perspectives inform the design of national strategies, legal frameworks and prevention programming.
Contributions of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism: innovation, networks and evidence-based support
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) supports Member States in building nationally led, rights-based prevention strategies that are coordinated, evidence informed and aligned with all four pillars of GCTS, including measures under Pillar II to prevent and combat terrorism and under Pillar III to build States’ capacities. Through its Global Programme on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, UNOCT assists governments in adopting integrated, whole-of-society approaches informed by global best practice and technical expertise.
Recognizing the rapid evolution of digital environments, the Office has also expanded its work on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, online platforms and gaming spaces. In response, UNOCT collaborates with developers, educators and digital safety experts to promote safety by design, elevate positive content and enhance digital literacy, while ensuring strict human rights safeguards.
This year's International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism (12 February 2026), to be observed under the theme “Preventing Violent Extremism in the Age of New and Emerging Technologies”, provides a timely reminder of why this work matters. While new technologies offer significant opportunities to strengthen prevention strategies and advance the Sustainable Development Goals, they are also increasingly exploited by terrorist actors to spread harmful narratives, facilitate recruitment and radicalization, and increase pathways to violence. UNOCT aims to help Member States and partners harness these tools responsibly and ensure that new and emerging technologies contribute to peace, inclusion and resilience.
Strengthening coherence through the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact
The Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, a United Nations-wide coordination framework that brings together dozens of United Nations and partner entities, continues to serve as the foundation for system-wide coherence across United Nations efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism conducive to terrorism (PCVE). Through its Inter-agency Working Group on PCVE – co-led by UNOCT, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Development Programme – the Compact has helped embed prevention of violent extremism across development, peacebuilding, human rights and humanitarian engagements.
A renewed commitment to the prevention of violent extremism conducive to terrorism
As GCTS undergoes its ninth review cycle, a renewed global commitment is needed. The prevention of violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism is a sovereign responsibility and an essential investment in long-term peace and stability. While the United Nations stands ready to assist, national leadership remains indispensable.
Three priorities should guide the path forward:
- Reaffirm prevention of violent extremism as a national responsibility anchored in all four pillars of the GCTS, including commitments to the rights of victims.
- Strengthen nationally owned, locally grounded PCVE strategies supported by predictable financing and inclusive participation from communities, women and youth.
- Enhance United Nations system coherence and innovation to ensure that support reinforces, rather than replaces, national capacities and resilience to terrorism and violent extremism.
Ten years after the introduction of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action, the imperative to prevent violent extremism remains as urgent as ever. Prevention is long-term work, requiring political ownership, inclusion and trust, but it is also the most sustainable pathway to peace, security, and the protection and empowerment of future generations.
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