FNC Speaker calls for international cooperation to counter terrorism, extremism

VIENNA, 9th September, 2021 - Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), participated in a session held today in Vienna, under the theme, "Role of parliaments in the prevention of terrorism, radicalisation and hate speech: Challenges, parliamentary perspectives, effective strategies and best practices," which is part of the First Global Parliamentary Summit on Countering Terrorism. During the session, Ghobash said terrorism and violent extremism are global challenges, stressing the international community must effectively combat them, but not only through military and security measures. "Terrorist and extremist organisations aim to take advantage of marginalised and unstable areas to recruit young people, which requires finding urgent solutions to the root causes and conditions that drive people to join these organisations," Ghobash added. He then highlighted the importance of supporting the work of parliamentarians, in collaboration with official authorities in these regions, while emphasising the role of women, the youth, local authorities and civil society, including religious leaders and community leaders, in standing together against violence, as well as of improving the related work of government authorities, especially parliaments, through encouraging community participation. Promoting the values of tolerance, moderation, openness and coexistence are key tools for combatting terrorism and extremism, he further added, noting that such values were long instilled in the Emirati community by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his legacy is being continued by the country’s leadership. "The Principles of the 50'" launched recently by the UAE highlights its cultural values based on peace, dialogue, tolerance and coexistence, he further said. Ghobash then explained the UAE’S approach to establishing international partnerships aimed at combatting terrorism, affirming it has implemented a series of procedures aimed at countering terrorism and eliminating its sources and root causes, most notably the establishment of the Hedayah Centre, which is a global partnership project that aims to prevent extremism, and the Sawab Centre, which aims to challenge extremism on social media. The Global Parliamentary Summit on Countering Terrorism is the first such Summit to be held in partnership between the IPU and the United Nations. The Summit will be taking place at a critical time, as the international community and global and national economies seek to recover from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. This Summit will allow parliamentarians to identify lasting solutions and make a parliamentary contribution to global efforts in counter-terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism, with robust action and a real impact on communities, in particular the victims of terrorism.