COMMITTEE: Special Conference
QUESTION OF: Political and economic stability in states threatened by radicalized and extremist non-government entities.
SUBMITTED BY: Germany,
CO-SUBMITTERS Sudan, Bhutan, Solomon Islands, Madagascar, Kenya, Arab/league, Iceland, Libya, Pakistan.
THE SPECIAL CONFERENCE,
Affirming the faith of the peoples of the United Nations in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women as declared in the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Bearing in mind that the activities of political and religious extremist groups pose a severe threat to the full development of Human Rights, especially those stated in articles 18 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion), 19 (freedom of opinion and expression) and 20 (freedom of peaceful assembly and association),
Having considered that the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Plan of Action envisages initiatives and programs that promote dialogue, tolerance, and understanding among civilizations, cultures, peoples, and religions as measures aimed at addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism,
Realizing that the Secretary-General of the United Nations has presented a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism to the General Assembly, and that the General Assembly has decided to give further consideration to the plan, beginning in the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy review in June 2016 as well as in other relevant forums,
Fully alarmed by the fact that violent extremist activities are inspired by a wide range of ideologies that include nationalist and separatist ideologies, Islamic extremist movements, anarchist, and violent left and right-wing ideologies,
Contemplating that values and attitudes developed by the people in adolescence and early adulthood stay with them for much of their lives and that antidemocratic, racist, and religion and gender-based hate ideologies lead to a weaker and less humane society,
Convinced that social exclusion, limited social mobility and high unemployment are causes of disaffection with the society and act as justifications to anti-establishment extremism,
Deeply disturbed by the fact that that addressing the causes and consequences of extremist behavior increase the cost of public services and diminish the potential growth of the economy,
Aware that extremists are capitalizing on advances in technology to find new ways of engaging with disaffected youth, taking advantage of social networking sites, online video channels and radical chat rooms,
Noting with deep concern that traditional law enforcement techniques are insufficient to deal with the evolving trends in radicalization and that “there is a need to take a more comprehensive approach which encompasses not only ongoing, essential security-based counter-terrorism measures, but also systematic preventive measures which directly address the drivers of violent extremism” (General-Secretary Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, I.6),
Guided by the principle that there must be a fair balance between the individual right of free expression and the respect of other’s beliefs and traditions,
Approving that preventive measures against extremism are more efficient in the long term than measures aimed exclusively at punishment,
1. Calls upon all Member States to implement active policies aimed to stop the radicalization of any kind of extremist non-government groups both within its territory as well as abroad;
2. Emphasizes the fact that effective prevention of radicalization needs comprehensive approaches with a wide range or strategies that:
a. Seek cooperation and involvement of non-governmental organizations, front line workers, health care and security services, and experts,
b. Build trust within and between communities, promoting a better understanding of each other´s senilities and problems,
c. Take into account expertise and better practices;
3. Affirms the power of strengthening the role of the education on the matter of the early fight against radicalization by taking in actions as the following:
a. Teachers have to be well equipped and trained to recognize radicalized behavior and individuals in the process of being radicalized,
b. Young people should be encouraged to think critically about extremist messages,
c. Preventive pedagogic resources to fight early extremist proselytism must be implemented,
d. Leaving a part of liberty in social media of criticism of any ideological radical message;
4. Proclaims the role of the social services as ways of preventing and tackling radicalization over these proposals to:
a. Design and implement exit strategies for dissuading individuals from radicalized ideologies and reintegrating the former radical to the society,
b. Taylor strategies to the motivations, rationale and needs of each person,
c. Strategies to DE radicalization must be engaged to families and communities;
5. Deplores the use of mass sports as instruments for assembling members of extremist groups and for radicalization of youngsters. Groups of allegedly sports fans that use and promote violence and extremism have to be combated by measures as:
a. The removal of violent groups from sports facilities,
b. Encouraging real sport fans to denounce violent behaviors,
c. Exhorting managers and directors of sports clubs to actively fight against violent fan groups;
6. Recommends the adequate development of an urban planning that will:
a. Guarantee the availability of public transport,
b. Give adequate access to healthy and open public spaces,
c. Make provision for the building of public facilities that enable social interaction among individuals and groups;
7. Draws the attention on the important role that have new technologies in social and communication media so to prevent dangerous propaganda from proliferating and reaching its target. Special attention should be given to:
a. Cooperation with internet providers to remove illegal material,
b. Create a positive online messaging alternative to extremist propaganda, and stimulate critical thinking in internet users,
c. Set up ways for the public to flag offensive and potentially illegal material,
d. Working with the police forces for a constant control of extremist ideologies in the internet,
e. Foster help from internet users to alert about the use of social media in promoting hate and violence;
8. Reminds that any pacific religious expression should be allowed and its practitioners defended by means of:
a. Allowing all kind of non-extremist religious institutions and practices to be available to everyone,
b. Not forcing a person to follow or attend religious practices against its will,
c. Members of educational institutions should not use their position to promote their personal religious beliefs opposed to the will of parents;
9. Invites to the promotion of leisure activities that encourage social inclusiveness through measures such as:
a. Extending opening times for young children to attend leisure activities monitoring by experts,
b. Organizing and promoting activities aimed at inclusion of people from diverse ethnics and religion and cultural backgrounds;
10. Notes that the best way to raise social inclusiveness is to guarantee equal opportunities in the access of social and economic success. Special attention should be given in order to:
a. Avoid that race, gender and religious beliefs could be elements of discrimination in the access to work opportunities,
b. Promote diversity in the workforce, especially in those activities and jobs traditionally linked to native men;
11. Request the importance of the international cooperation on the legal issues of fighting radicalism in social media, so that mutual help is needed in:
a. Eliminating audiovisual services that contain incitement to hate based on race, sex, religion or nationality,
b. The removal of advertising based on homophobic, racist or male chauvinistic behavior,
c. The distribution of printed material that encourages and praises the afore mentioned actions;
12. Endorses the role of the following international organizations:
a. The International Network Against Cyber Hate,
b. The Human Security Collective,
c. The Radicalization Awareness Network;
13. Solemnly affirms that each Member State should enact the recommendations that will be included in the future United Nations Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism;
14. Request all the member states to address and locate all the entities that contribute to physical attacks as well as to technology attacks with security forces staying alert to recognize and protect against any new high-tech tactics terrorists might be using;
15. Encourages to intensify cooperation in exchanging timely and accurate information. Involving that way, the security and protection in vulnerable targets (public infrastructures);
16. Endorses rehabilitation of the victims by offering economic support and psychological aid:
a. Offering economic support giving small loans to family members in this stage,
b. Providing psychological aid and offering all the medical treatments as possible needed by these victims;
17. Decides to remain actively seized upon this matter.
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