UN chief calls for holistic approach to tackle violent extremism

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that a paradigm shift is needed to address violent extremism affecting communities across the globe.

"Violent extremism is a direct assault on the UN charter and the universal declaration of human rights. It represents a grave threat to international peace and security," he said following a session of the Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism: The Way Forward.

In recent years, the international community's response to violent extremism has centered on countering the threat, though Ban cautioned that security and military actions alone cannot defeat the spread of groups such as ISIL, al-Qaida and Boko Haram.

"We need a more comprehensive and balanced approach that addresses the drivers of violent extremism; that is what is this conference is about, that is what my plan of action to prevent violent extremism is about," he explained.

A UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism was launched earlier this year, providing over 70 recommendations to member states to catalyze international responses to address the challenge.

According to the UN, the "plan calls for a comprehensive approach encompassing not only essential security-based counter-terrorism measures but also systematic preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups."

"We must take united action in order to save succeeding generations. We need to act quickly to restore a legacy of hope and promise to our youth," Ban said.

"Today we are sending an important message that the countries of the United Nations are united in action and to prevent the scourge of violent extremism," he added.

Also present at the stakeout, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Didier Burkhalter further iterated the importance of prevention, long-term strategies and implementation to tackle the threat posed by violent extremism. Enditem