Weixiong Chen, Deputy Executive Director of UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), has commended Morocco’s engagement and actions made in the fight against terrorism contributing to global peace and stability.
Speaking at an international conference on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), currently held in Rabat, the UN official described the North African Kingdom as a strong and close partner of CTED, saying Morocco’s counter-terrorism strategy and contributions have been recognized by the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee.
He congratulated Morocco for Launching the Newly born Center Moussalaha on Deradicalization Disengagement and Rehabilitation, lauding the Kingdom’s deradicalization programs designed to tackle the drivers of extremism.
He voiced concern over the situation in the Sahel wherein the terrorist groups exploit vulnerable people, poverty, famine and injustice to spread their fundamentalist ideology.
To counter this scourge threatening global security and stability, Mr. Weixiong Chen called for strengthening cooperation between countries and exchange of intelligence on extremists.
The Third Edition of this conference, organized by the Moroccan Observatory on Extremism & Violence with the Partnership of ICESCO, Rabita Mahammadia, DGAPR and the Policy Center for the New South, was an opportunity to gather high-level officials from UN CTED, UNOCT, UNODC, European Union, Naef Arab University for Security Studies, and other national and regional institutions to deliberate the Role of Knowledge in Countering Violent Extremism.
For his part, ICESCO Director General Dr. Salim Al Malik called for addressing the roots of violent extremism to defeat terrorism, warning against the growing use of social media networks and telecom technology by the jihadists to recruit vulnerable people.
Moroccan minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi stressed the importance of education in countering extremist ideas and the need to address the causes of extremism by adopting a comprehensive approach.
Ms. Amina Bouayach, Head of the National Council for Human Rights said violent extremism poses a real threat to the democratic values and human rights.
Mr. Lahkim Bendaoud, Head of Counter-Terrorism & Organized Crime at Morocco’s National police, said the North African Kingdom is a global player in the fight against terrorism. He also shed light on Morocco’s CT strategy which takes into account the factors leading to extremism and acts of violence, in addition to preventive measures.
Mohammed Loulichki, a former ambassador & senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, said the war against terrorism requires the adoption of a global approach combining national strategies and international cooperation.
Mr. Abdelouahed Jamali Idrissi, coordinator at Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reintegration of Prisoners in Morocco, focused on the difficulties and challenges facing former prisoners in their reintegration into society, while Mr. Carlos Alexandre Montrio Reyes, Head of the Office of UN Counter-Terrorism and Training Program in Africa, stressed the importance of education as a tool for combating extremism.
In His Keynote remarks, Dr El Mostafa Rezrazi, the President of the Observatory and Chairperson of the Scientific Committee of the Conference, has highlighted the content of this edition, which focuses on five panels: (1) The Role of knowledge in countering extremism, Overview of current global trends; (2) Technological and AI Use in Extremism and Countermeasures; (3) Exchanges on Deradicalization, Disengagement, and Rehabilitation Programs Worldwide; (4) Debating Behavioral and Psychological Aspects Related to Recruitment and Deradicalization; (5) Exchanging Experiences and Good Practices on the Management of the Return of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) and Their Families
The two-day conference, which opened Tuesday, is organized by ICESCO in partnership with Moroccan Observatory on Extremism and Violence, and in cooperation with Moroccan General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration, the Mohammadia League of Scholars and the Policy Center for the New South.