OSCE Chairperson and German Foreign Minister Steinmeier and German Interior Minister de Maizière open high-level OSCE Counter-Terrorism Conference

BERLIN, 31 May 2016 – Violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism can only be effectively addressed through a broad range of measures, co-ordinated in a joint international effort, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said today as they opened a high-level OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference in Berlin.

The two-day event, organized by Germany’s 2016 Chairmanship, brings together more than 300 participants, including Deputy Foreign Ministers, Secretaries of State and Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinators from OSCE participating States as well as Asian and Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation. Also attending are members of 17 international and regional organizations, including various UN agencies, together with more than 60 civil society, academia and youth representatives.

 “Terrorism targets everyone regardless of origin, age, sex or believes. Fighting terrorism can thus only succeed as a joint international effort,” said Steinmeier in his opening speech in the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. He added that in addition to the resolute use of policing and prosecution powers in line with the rule of law, a sustainable response requires preventive measures with the aim to counter radicalisation and extremism at an early stage. “This includes improving societal participation and education opportunities, in particular for young people. We must live up to our own values of living together in fairness and peace and hold these values high against extremist or terrorist propaganda,” Steinmeier said.

Germany’s Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière also addressed the conference in the opening session and said: “Extremism and terrorism must be addressed with a broad range of measures: by prevention and by law enforcement, nationally and internationally. We all know that extremists and terrorist organizations take advantage of the benefits of globalization and international networking. Extremism cannot be stopped by borders. I feel it is important that we make a stand against hateful ideologies, we need to empower our young people to resist the myths of extremists and to encourage them to be part of our society and our liberal democratic values.”

The role of youth, and in particular young women, will be highlighted in the conference discussions.  Participants will focus on co-operation with youth-led and youth-focused initiatives, especially when designing strategies to counter violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism, and better integration of these measures with the efforts to promote good governance and human rights.

“The OSCE stands for shared security, prosperity, human rights and democracy for all,” said OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier. “This vision provides a powerful antidote to violent extremism. But we need to work harder to turn it into reality so that everyone benefits from it and believes in it – first and foremost young people.”

The Secretary General also announced the launch of a drawing competition for young creators: the #LetsDoodle design contest, aimed at challenging the black and white thinking of violent extremism, will be conducted under the umbrella of the OSCE United in Countering Violent Extremism (#UnitedCVE) campaign launched in the summer 2015. The campaign continues under the German Chairmanship to reinforce a global consensus against violent extremism.

This year’s conference builds upon the two OSCE declarations in the field of counter-terrorism adopted at the Belgrade Ministerial Council, which underscore the shared perception among participating States that terrorism remains one of the most acute threats faced today. The conference is also an important contribution to the discussions on the implementation of the United Nations Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, especially in the OSCE region.