Violent extremism leading to terrorism is a serious threat to international peace and security. The complex challenges posed by violent extremism require a joint coordinated and collaborative response. Regional Network of Prevention of Violent Extremism Practitioners of South Asia (SAN-PVE) is the first regional cooperation network that promotes knowledge-sharing and peer-to-peer learning in preventing violent extremism (PVE). SAN-PVE’s platform brings together all pertinent stakeholders, including public sector and civil society to identify common challenges and good practices in the region and fosters multi-agency and multi-disciplinary approaches in response to violent extremism as highlighted in the UN Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.
Building on the achievements of past high-level meetings, UNODC’s Terrorism Prevention Branch organized the third high-level and technical meeting on 1-2 December 2021 in Male to officially launch SAN-PVE and invite PVE practitioners to join the Network. During high-level discussions, Member States discussed the way forward regarding the operationalization of SAN-PVE and agreed on the structure of its advisory board. They stressed that a whole-of-society approach was key to developing effective and sustainable PVE strategies, highlighting the need to promote engagement and partnerships with all pertinent stakeholders and civil society organizations (CSOs).
The technical-level meeting focused on priorities and challenges in five thematic areas, namely (1) rehabilitation & reintegration (R&R) (2) law enforcement & criminal justice (3) education & religious affairs (4) communication & narratives and (5) CSOs & local communities. During these thematic working group discussions, participants identified emerging issues in their respective fields, including the impact of COVID-19, R&R of returning foreign terrorist fighters and their family members, age and gender-sensitive approaches, and partnership-building with CSOs. They noted that these issues need to be considered when developing a workplan of each thematic group tailored to the national needs and priorities within the SAN-PVE framework. CSOs were recognized as critical partners in PVE efforts, thus the need for sustainable funding and trust-building between government agencies and CSOs was underscored.
Ultimately, the official launch of SAN-PVE demonstrated the importance of collective action in PVE in South Asia and how the Network would serve to enhance communities’ resilience, ensure multi-disciplinary responses and strengthen regional cooperation in PVE.
The event was funded by the Government of Japan and was co-organized with the National Counter-Terrorism Centre of the Republic of Maldives.
To learn more about SAN-PVE: