Youth resilience to violent extremism

Strengthening international and regional cooperation to address the increasing terrorist threat in Africa

Under-Secretary-General Voronkov,

Excellencies, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Opening remarks by Antonia Marie De Meo, Director of UNICRI

Side-Event at the ECOSOC Youth Forum "Protecting Vulnerable Youths from Crime and Violence in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic"

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues,

(Re)building post-pandemic societies: youth using sport to prevent and counter violent extremism

Background

Violent extremists across the ideological spectrum view the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for expansion and young people are likely among the most at risk.

This year, on the World Day of Social Justice  (20 February), the United Nations are launching a global call for social justice in the digital economy. 

On 24 November 2020, UNICRI in collaboration with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) held the virtual webinar “What Enhances Community Resilience to Violent Extremism? Main findings from UNICRI Pilot Project in Sahel-Maghreb region”. As the official launch of the Project’s final report “Many hands on an elephant”, the webinar featured speakers from four partner civil society organisations, as well as representatives from UNICRI and DG NEAR.

On 7 November 2020, a call-for-proposals was launched by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), within the framework of the UN Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism implemented by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), in partnership with UNICRI, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Centre for Sport and Security (ICSS).