Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Today, Sunday, the United Nations celebrated the International Day to Prevent Violent Extremism when it leads to terrorism, and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "There must be renewed and sustained attention to prevention, including addressing the underlying conditions that cause young men and women to be lured into terrorism." According to a statement issued on the international organization's website on this occasion, "violent extremism is an offense to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. It undermines peace, security, human rights and sustainable development, and does not spare any country or region from its effects. Violent extremism is a phenomenon that is diverse and lacks a specific definition." It is not new, nor is it confined to a particular region, nationality, or belief system.However, in recent years, terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram have shaped our perception of violent extremism and defined the debate. The message of intolerance - religious, cultural and social - that these groups spread has had disastrous consequences in many regions of the world. By acquiring territory and using social media to communicate their ideas and achievements in real time to various parts of the world, they seek to challenge the values of peace and justice and human dignity that we all share.
The spread of violent extremism has further exacerbated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that transcends the borders of a single region. Millions of people have fled areas controlled by terrorist and violent extremist groups. Migration flows have increased away from the conflict areas, seeking safety, but also towards these areas, under the temptation to participate in the conflict as foreign terrorist fighters, which further destabilizes the regions concerned.
Nothing can justify violent extremism, but we must also recognize that it does not arise out of thin air. Discourses of grievance and injustice - whether actual or imagined - and the promise of empowerment and sweeping change find deaf ears in places where human rights are violated, good governance is ignored and aspirations are crushed.
definition of the occasion
The General Assembly, by its resolution 77/243, proclaimed 12 February as the International Day to Prevent Violent Extremism When It Leads to Terrorism, in order to raise awareness of the threats associated with violent extremism when it leads to terrorism and to strengthen international cooperation in this regard.
In this context, she emphasized the primary responsibility of Member States and their national institutions in combating terrorism, and stressed the importance of the role of intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, religious leaders and the media in combating terrorism and preventing violent extremism when it leads to terrorism.
The resolution reaffirmed that terrorism and violent extremism, when conducive to terrorism, cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.
The General Assembly called on the Office of Counter-Terrorism, in cooperation with other relevant entities participating in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, to facilitate the observance of this International Day.

Action Plan to Prevent Violent Extremism
On 15 January 2016, the Secretary-General presented to the General Assembly a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.
On 12 February 2016, the General Assembly adopted a resolution that "welcomes the Secretary-General's initiative, and takes note of his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism." The General Assembly decided to “continue consideration of the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, starting with the review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in June 2016, as well as in other relevant forums.” The Assembly concluded its general debate on the Action Plan to Prevent Violent Extremism on 16 February.
The Action Plan calls for a comprehensive approach that includes not only basic counter-terrorism security measures, but also systematic preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups.