“Preventing violent extremism – one of the major foreign policy tasks of our generation” (en)

Vice-President Biden,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The issue of preventing violent extremism was elevated to the top of the international agenda by the White House CVE Summit last February. I am grateful to President Obama for taking this initiative and for the invitation to today’s gathering. I would also like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for hosting us in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.

Finding ways of effectively preventing violent extremism is one of the major foreign policy tasks of our generation. Preventing violent extremism must be a key component of our efforts to counter transnational terrorism. 

The unprecedented violence of the self-proclaimed Islamic State has been a major factor causing regional instability and forcing people in Syria and Iraq to flee their homes. In response to the growing refugee flows, the Swiss government decided ten days ago to participate in the first EU scheme to relocate refugees. We also decided to step up our efforts in the conflict-affected regions by contributing an additional 72 million US dollars.

A large part of this money will go to international humanitarian organisations, which are heavily underfunded. I urge you to rapidly help them help the people on the ground and make sure they get unimpeded access to all areas of armed conflict. Switzerland will also provide substantive support for the renewed efforts by the UN to bring about a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

Terrorist groups like IS cannot be part of such a political solution. Nor can military force and law enforcement measures alone defeat terrorism. Measures to prevent the export and influx of weapons, fighters and funds to terrorist organisations are vital. But we also need to make people resistant to the demagoguery of terrorists.

The effective prevention of violent extremism requires a comprehensive approach. The three pillars that together make the United Nations – peace and security, development, and human rights – should all be included. Both the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development have been built on these premises.

We must address the grievances of those vulnerable to radicalisation and recruitment by terrorist groups. We must act comprehensively because no single measure will do the job.

Lack of development does not, in and of itself, cause terrorism. But terrorists are quick to fill the void left by fragile states and bad governance. They exploit unresolved political conflicts and perceived injustice, where the role of governments cannot be ignored. They feed on the grievances of populations who suffer from corruption and human rights violations. They nurture extremist ideologies when the public space for civil society and legitimate political participation is curtailed. They exploit hopelessness where there is no trust in public institutions.

Our task is to provide people, and young people in particular, with opportunities. Switzerland is engaged in numerous activities in this respect and will further expand its measures to prevent violent extremism.

For example, in early 2016 we will organise an expert meeting on vocational education and training as one possible approach to strengthen resilience to violent extremism. The primary goal of the meeting is to develop a common understanding of how skills development and employment promotion can strengthen resilience to violent extremism.

We believe that the private sector can play a crucial role in offering vocational training and creating jobs, in particular for young people at risk. This is why Switzerland is a strong supporter of the Geneva-based Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund. This public-private partnership provides a great opportunity to channel our prevention efforts. Switzerland has made available five million dollars to GCERF for the first four years.

Switzerland is also committed to promoting good governance and human rights. This November, we will launch, together with partners, an initiative on Juvenile Justice in a Counter-terrorism Context. This initiative will address the special situation and needs of children and young people who are affected by terrorism as victims, witnesses or offenders.

Another area of activities concerns the empowerment of regional and local actors. Civil society actors, in particular women and community leaders, play an important role in shaping the narrative. Switzerland is a strong proponent of linking the agenda to prevent violent extremism with the agenda of Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. We also believe that the links between religion and conflict must be more thoroughly addressed in order to enhance constructive and inclusive political participation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Developing a comprehensive line of activities to prevent violent extremism is important. But it is not enough. Our efforts will only be effective if the various activities in the fields of peace and security, development, and human rights are coordinated and part of a bigger whole. Let us break the silos, foster trust and dialogue between these different fields, and engage in common action.

The UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which is due to be released soon, will play a major role in this regard. It is with this in mind that Switzerland will organise, together with the UN, a major conference on this UN Plan of Action in the spring of 2016.

I invite you all to join us in Geneva to collectively take another step forward in shaping our response to violent extremism.