3 October 2016, New York; At the United Nations General Assembly debate on measures to eliminate international terrorism, the Maldives highlighted the number of robust measures taken by the Government for the prevention of terrorism and violent extremism.
Speaking on the subject, Ambassador Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations informed the Sixth Committee that a State policy to counter terrorism and violent extremism has been implemented, and specific laws on counter terrorism have been enacted. He noted that these legislative and policy measures are complimentary to the international measures at a regional and global level and address the issue of Foreign Terrorist Fighters as well as Terrorist Financing.
In addition to policy and legislative measures, Ambassador Sareer highlighted the institutional measures undertaken by the Government of Maldives, most notably the establishment of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, mandated to coordinate the inter-agency effort required to effectively counter terrorism domestically, and to liaise with international security partners. The Committee was told that later this month, the Maldives will be hosting an international symposium on countering terrorism and violent extremism.
Recognizing the need to address the root causes of this threat in our National Strategy on Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalism; the Maldives had revised its national educational curriculum with an emphasis on the values of moderation and civic responsibility, aiming to raise awareness amongst our younger generations about this global menace. In addition, anti-terrorism awareness programs are conducted focusing on specific sectors, religious scholars as well as the general public, noted the Maldives statement.
The Maldives statement further stated that domestic efforts alone cannot win the fight against terrorism and extremism, and therefore called on the need for the cooperation and assistance of the international community, especially for countries which lack the resources to address the evolving challenges posed by this threat. Ambassador Sareer stated that in addition to the sharing of information, "support is required to cater to the capacity building needs of countries such as the Maldives, which have unique geographical and societal circumstances."
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