On 28 October, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Nurlan Yermekbayev took part in a special event on the synergy of the CIS, CSTO and SCO approaches to deradicalisation, their challenges and possibilities, during his visit to Minsk.
The meeting, held at the initiative of Tajikistan’s chairmanship in the CIS, was also attended by heads of diplomatic missions from the member states of the three organisations in Minsk, along with the CIS, CSTO and SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure executive authorities and leading analytical centres.
The Secretary General noted that the event contributes to following the roadmap on developing interaction between the SCO, CSTO and the CIS, which was adopted on 3 September in Beijing.
Nurlan Yermekbayev pointed out that terrorism and extremism are acquiring new forms today, presenting a worldview, social and cultural challenge. He underscored the necessity of a comprehensive approach to countering such threats, whereby power-based measures are complemented by systemic prevention, education and societal development as key instruments of deradicalisation.
The Secretary General paid special attention to young people as the most vulnerable population group. He stressed that terrorists and extremists are actively adapting by using the digital environment, social networks, game and educational platforms.
It was noted that a key tool for addressing the causes of radicalisation is building resilience to extremist ideology. This can be achieved through the implementation of socio-economic, educational and cultural programmes.
In this context, he suggested expanding the exchange of information and analytical materials between the specialised bodies of the three organisations, developing joint educational and outreach programmes and intensifying cooperation in cyberspace.