Canada statement delivered by Ms. Ritu Banerjee, Senior Director, Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence at Session III of the UN High-level Conference on Counter-terrorism

June 29, 2018

Mr. Chair, Excellencies,

Canada aligns itself with the statement by Jordan on behalf of the Group of Friends of Preventing Violent Extremism – or PVE, of which Canada is a member. 

Canada is a staunch advocate of the whole-of-society approach embodied in the UN’s Plan of Action on Preventing Violent Extremism.  It is our experience and conviction that a civilian-led approach, engaging civil society and communities is the most effective way to prevent violent extremism. This is the basis for Canada’s approach at home and abroad.

In 2017, Canada launched the Canada Center for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence to provide national leadership on policy, action-oriented research and program funding to tackle radicalization to violence, in particular to support actors at the community level who lead efforts adapted to the local context and who are at the heart of our response to violent extremism.

Under Canada’s G7 Presidency, we have focused on addressing terrorist use of the internet.  Although we acknowledge the progress made by the Global Internet Forum to Counter-terrorism, which includes Facebook, Google, X (Twitter) and Microsoft, we have also made it clear that more needs to be done. 

In addition, major tech companies need to be more transparent about their internal policies. We have requested that they make better use of advanced technology for rapid detection and removal of violent extremist content. 

We encourage partnership between tech companies and local civil society actors to promote digital literacy and critical thinking, as key to building resilience.

Another key priority for Canada is the importance of gender and PVE.  We know, for example, that terrorist groups exploit gender norms strategically to attract male and female recruits. They have identified our gender biases and cultural norms and exploit them in different ways to attack us.  

We also know that when women are empowered as PVE partners they can be powerful buffers against radicalization to violence and a source of early warning in our communities.

Youth are also a central actor in PVE efforts. They understand the age-specific pressures that youth face, and are best-placed as credible voices to build resilience among their peers through their own compelling positive narratives.

Canada is pleased to host a new UNESCO Chair to prevent violent extremism. Based in Montreal, it is chaired by three Canadian PVE experts and promotes an integrated system of research and education that will leverage international expertise.

Since 2014, Canada has committed some twenty-five million dollars toward international PVE efforts. We are increasing this commitment by supporting community policing, disengagement and reintegration programs.

The UN is pivotal in these efforts, facilitating civil society’s role as a force multiplier on PVE, bringing the voices on the ground in affected communities to our discussions.  Canada is therefore deeply dismayed that civil society has been excluded from segments of this Conference.  It undermines the credibility of this inaugural meeting, and is a lost opportunity for genuine dialogue with all key actors, including experienced civil society partners on the frontlines of PVE interventions.  Canada has included civil society representatives on its official delegation to demonstrate our genuine commitment to finding effective solutions to this global challenge. 

Thank you.