Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Tehmina Janjua, has urged the global community to address the international factors responsible for the growing threat of violent extremism in a comprehensive manner.
In her address at Geneva Ministerial-level conference on Preventing Violent Extremism – A way forward, Ambassador Janjua said that the view that only local factors such as poor governance, lack of human rights and poor socio-economic conditions gave rise to violent extremism was incorrect.
She observed that the key drivers of violent extremism were often international factors such as foreign interventions and foreign occupation, prolonged and unresolved international disputes, denial of the right of the people to self-determination, xenophobia and Islamophobia in the Western countries.
The ambassador stressed that it was the United Nations’ responsibility to address both international and local factors simultaneously if the international community was to effectively counter violent extremism.
She contended that ignoring the international factors driving extremism reflected an ideological agenda to identify violent extremism with particular countries or religion. Pakistan’s position found support in the statements made by key OIC countries, Russia, China and some Latin American countries.
She said Pakistan leads the OIC group on Human Rights in Geneva and coordinates the positions of OIC countries in issues of common concern and importance. The OIC countries appreciated Pakistan’s vigorous espousal of OIC positions on the issue, she added.
Ambassador Tehmina Janjua also highlighted actions taken to implement Pakistan’s National Action Plan to fight terrorism, and expressed readiness to share the country’s national experience with other States.
