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12June2015Communiqu:MinisterialMeeting,12June2015,Sydney,Australia

Communiqu:MinisterialMeeting,12June2015,Sydney,Australia
12June2015
OfficialStatement
Ministersandofficialsfrom24countries,theEuropeanUnionandtheUnitedNations,aswellasrepresentativesfromcivilsocietyandtheprivatesector,
mettodayinSydney,Australia,fortheministerialcomponentofatwodayRegionalSummittoCounterViolentExtremism.TheSummitbuiltonwork
commencedattheFebruary2015WhiteHouseSummittoCounterViolentExtremism(CVE),andfurtheredattheApril2015SingaporeEastAsiaSummit
Symposium.TheSydneySummitaimedtoimproveregionalcoordinationandbuildthecapacityofgovernments,civilsocietyandlocalcommunitiesto
challengeviolentextremisminordertopreventterrorism.
Inadditiontoexchangingmodelsofgoodpracticeandbuildingnetworks,theSummitdeliveredpracticaltrainingandcapacitybuildingworkshopsforboth
governmentandcivilsocietyparticipants.Theseincludedworkingwithsocialmedia,buildingcommunityledrehabilitationandearlyinterventionprograms,
anddevelopinginclusivenationalstrategiestocounterviolentextremism.
ConsistentwithUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil(UNSC)Resolution2178(2014)toenhancecooperationandsupporteachotherseffortstocounter
violentextremism,MinistersagreedtoongoingactionstobuildinternationalcooperationandcollaborationaheadofaleaderslevelCVEmeetingplanned
forthemarginsoftheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyinSeptember2015.
Intheirdiscussions,participantcountriesaddressedandreinforcedtheircommitmenttofivekeythemes
Regionalandinternationalcooperation
notedthesignificantandenduringthreatposedbytherecruitmentofforeignfightersbyterroristorganisationsandtheevolvingthreatofdomestic
radicalisationtoviolenceofvulnerableindividuals,particularlyyoungpeople
underlinedthatthereisnomorepressingmatterofnationalandregionalsecuritythanreducingthethreatofterrorism,andcommittedtocounterall
formsofterrorismandviolentextremism
stressedthatterrorismandviolentextremismcannotandshouldnotbeassociatedwithanyreligion,nationalityorcivilisation
recognisedthatcounteringviolentextremismstrategiesneedtobeholistic,fromaddressingtheunderlyingconditionsconducivetothegrowthand
spreadofviolentextremismandbuildingcommunityresiliencetoradicalisationthrougheducationandsupport,toearlyinterventionandrehabilitation
programs,andimplementingappropriatelegalregimesandcodesofconduct,consistentwithensuringrespectforhumanrightsandfundamental
freedoms
underscoredthatrespondingtothethreatofterroristgroupsexploitingtheInternettorecruitandradicalisevulnerableindividualsrequiresactionbyall
tiersofgovernment,togetherwithcivilsocietyandtheprivatesector
reaffirmedtheircommitmenttoworkingcooperativelytosupporteachotherseffortstocounterviolentextremism,includingthroughinformation
sharing,capacitybuilding,coordinationofefforts,andsharinglessonslearned
welcomedtheeffortsofglobalandregionalorganisationstofacilitatecapacitybuildingandnetworkingtoassistcountriestocounterthethreatsof
terrorismandviolentextremism,andcommittedtoensureregionaleffortscomplementworkalreadyunderwaybyorganisationsincludingtheUnited
Nations,theGlobalCounterTerrorismForum(GCTF),theHedayahInstitute,theGlobalCommunityEngagementResilienceFund,andthe
AssociationofSouthEastAsianNations(ASEAN)andASEANledprocessesincludingtheEastAsianSummitandtheASEANRegionalForum
Researchandinformationsharing
committedtoworkwithandthroughkeybodiessuchasGCTF,Hedayah,theUNCounterTerrorismImplementationTaskforce,andtheUNSC
CounterTerrorismCommitteeanditsExecutiveDirectoratetocollectanddisseminatelocal,national,regional,andglobalexperiencesinorderto
identifygoodpracticesthateffectivelyaddressviolentextremismtobeconsideredduringthenextsessionoftheGeneralAssemblytogetherwiththe
PlanofActiondevelopedbytheSecretaryGeneral
underlinedtheimportanceofunderstandingthereasonswhypeoplejoinviolentextremistmovementshasneverbeenmorepressing,and
understandingtheprocessofradicalisationiscriticaltorespondingtoallfacetsofterrorismandviolentextremism
notedtheresponsibilityongovernmentstosupportandsharelocalandregionalresearchandexpertisedrawnfromthepublicandprivatesectorsto
contributetoagreatercollectiveunderstandingoftheappealofterroristnarrativesandhowtheyaredrivingradicalisationtoviolence
Strengtheningtheroleofcivilsocietytocontributetostrategiccommunications
underscoredthateffectivelypreventingthespreadofviolentextremismincludesempoweringthosewhoarebestplacedtofacilitatechange,including
youth,women,families,religious,culturalandeducationleadersandcommunitygroups
acknowledgedthateffectivestrategiestocounterthethreatofonlineradicalisationrequiregovernmentstoactbeyondlegislativeandlawenforcement
measurestoengagewiththecommunityinpartnershipwithindustrytopromotepositivemessagingandcountermisleadingandharmfulterrorist
narratives
notedtheprivatesector,particularlythemediaandtechnologysectors,havearangeoftoolsandresourcesthatcansupportgovernmentandcivil
societytobuildresiliencetoradicalisationtoviolence
undertooktoseekopportunitiestopartnerwithcivilsocietyandtheprivatesectortodelivertailoredcountermessages,deliveredbycrediblevoices
includingpersonsformerlyinvolvedinviolentextremism,andalignedwithgovernmentpoliciestosuppressviolentextremistrhetoricandcounter
violentextremism
Supportingvulnerablecommunities
recognisedthatdevelopmententitiesandtheprivatesectormakeanimportantcontributiontoaddressingtheunderlyingconditionsconducivetothe
spreadofviolentextremism,includingthroughprovidingemploymentopportunities,buildingyouthvocationalandtechnicalcapacities,and
encouragingentrepreneurship
notedthatyoungmembersofvulnerablecommunitieshavebeenactivelytargetedbyterroristgroups,agreedthatafocusedeffortneedstobemade
todiscourageandpreventyouthfromembracingviolentextremism
notedtheimportanceofempoweringfamiliesandcommunitiesthrougheducationandengagementtorecogniseearlywarningsignsthatsomeone
mayberadicalisingtoviolenceandhowtoact
Strengtheningcommunitypolicerelations

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12June2015Communiqu:MinisterialMeeting,12June2015,Sydney,Australia

underscoredthatpositiveandtrustingrelationshipsbetweenpoliceandthecommunityareafoundationforassistingintheidentificationanddiversion
ofvulnerableindividualsfromradicalisationtoviolence,and
recognisedthatcounterterrorismoperationsandmisinformedpublicdebateonlegislativeandlawenforcementresponsestodomesticradicalisation
canbeperceivednegativelybysomecommunitygroups,erodingpolicerelationshipswiththecommunity,andagreedthatproactiveandtransparent
communicationeffortsshouldbeengagedtominimisetheseunintendedconsequences.
Summitoutcomes
MinistersandheadsofdelegationrecognisedthatthefollowingSummitoutcomeswillsupportaregionalapproachtocounteringviolentextremismandwill
informcontributionstotheleaderslevelmeetinginthemarginsoftheUNGeneralAssemblymeetinginSeptember2015:
Establisharegionalnetworkofcivilsocietygroupstofosterpeertopeerlearningandpartnerships,includingwiththeprivatesector,andassistwith
identifyingandbetterutilisingleadersandinfluencersacrosstheregiontoreachtargetaudiences.
Developaregionalguideforgovernmentandcivilsocietyoneffectiveengagementwiththeprivatesector,tofacilitateclosercollaborationon
counteringviolentextremism.
Createaregionalbestpracticeguideforthedevelopmentofnonlegislative,legislativeandlawenforcementresponsestoinhibitthedisseminationof
terroristpropaganda.
Developacompendiumofregionalcounternarrativestoamplifyeffectivemessagesacrosstheregion.
Investinenhancingtheroleofcommunitiestochallengeterroristpropaganda,includingbybuildingthetechnicalcapabilityofgrassrootsorganisations
toelevatenonextremistvoicesthatresonatewithtargetaudiences.

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