CROSS-REGIONAL TRAINING ON FOSTERING REGIONAL PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING AND STANDARD-SETTING IN PVE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT YOUTH AND WOMEN FROM ENGAGING IN VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND TERRORISM

MALDIVES (Virtual Meeting), 8 - 9 February 2022 - UNODC/TPB is currently implementing two projects aimed at enhancing national and regional capacities to prevent youth and women’s involvement with violent extremism and promoting effective and sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration strategies in the regions of South and South-East Asia. These projects are funded by the Government of Japan. These projects bring together a multiplicity of counterterrorism and prevention of violent extremism (PVE) measures and approaches to strengthen the capacity of the South and South-East Asian governments to deter and disengage youth and women, paying special attention to the specific vulnerability factors, using strengthened multi-disciplinary coordination mechanisms and national capabilities.

Mandated by resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council, UNODC provides technical assistance to the Member States on the implementation of counter-terrorism instruments into national legal frameworks and criminal justice systems. Within this mandate, UNODC also provides capacity building for criminal justice and law enforcement authorities on PVE. As a result, UNODC has implemented many projects in the PCVE area globally, including the development of PVE strategies, action plans, and networks; victims’ support; prevention of exploitation and recruitment by terrorist and violent extremist groups; preventing and countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes; PVE management in prisons; PVE through education; PVE through sports; and PVE and women; amongst others. Puan Shahhanim Yahya, from Institute for Youth Research Malaysia, has represented the Ministry of Youth & Sports for this training.