The Arab Parliament has expressed its commitment to developing plans and mechanisms to enhance the role of Arab parliamentarians in combating terrorism and extremist ideologies.
This affirmation was made by Ali Zaid Ahmed, a member of the Arab Parliament, during his participation in the fifth meeting of the Parliamentary Assemblies for Combating Terrorism held in Istanbul, Turkey, organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Arab Parliament, Ali Zaid detailed that the Parliament is adopting a three-pronged approach to this issue.
Firstly, the Arab Parliament is utilizing parliamentary diplomacy to strengthen international multilateral activities aimed at combating terrorism and extremism.
This effort is evidenced by the memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements signed with various parliamentary and governmental organizations, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as an upcoming agreement with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism.
Secondly, the Arab Parliament is focused on building the capacities of Arab parliamentarians in the field. To this end, in October 2021, the Arab Parliament established the Arab Center for Combating Terrorism and Extremist Thought.
This center, the first of its kind at the parliamentary level in the Arab region, serves as an institutional tool offering technical and legislative support to Arab legislators. It aids them in formulating measures that align with the 19 international legal instruments related to counter-terrorism.
Lastly, Zaid mentioned that the Arab Parliament is actively contributing to articulating the Arab perspective on the phenomena of terrorism and extremism, recognizing that Arab countries have been significantly affected by these destructive forces.
Through these initiatives, the Arab Parliament aims to highlight and mitigate the impacts of terrorism and extremist ideologies in the region.
