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With Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Irina Bokova reiterates UNESCO鈥檚 commitment to UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism
鈥淧reventing violent extremism calls for new forms of action, by States, by international organizations, at every level鈥, said Director-General Irina Bokova at a high-level luncheon hosted by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of the annual retreat of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Taskforce (CTITF) on 17 March, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The event brought together principals and senior representatives from entities, including a large number of UN agencies, to explore the way forward on the .
Together with the Secretary-General, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra鈥檃d al Hussein and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Director-General highlighted the importance of coordination and urgent mobilization across the UN to act and achieve greater impact in preventing violent extremism.
鈥淲hat we do know is that 鈥渉ard power鈥 is not enough to counter a threat fueled by exclusive ideological visions, based on distorted interpretations of faith, hatred and ignorance - we must seek to prevent it鈥, stressed Irina Bokova, 鈥淚t must begin by empowering young people, especially young women, so that they can live up to their potential as positive change actors鈥, she added.
This echoed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon鈥檚 statement that 鈥減revention should come first鈥 in the UN鈥檚 collective efforts to address violent extremism, considering its added-value in addressing the multiple and complex political, economic and social root causes of radicalization.
鈥淭he UN needs to think urgently together, to act and deliver as one to counter the threat of violent extremism鈥, concluded the Secretary-General.
