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House of Representatives Takes Part in High-Level Parliamentary Conference on Combatting Terrorism, Curbing Violent Extremism, and the Role of African Youth in this Area

The House of Representatives took part on January 19-20, in Lomé, Togo, in the High-Level Parliamentary Conference on Combatting Terrorism, Curbing Violent Extremism, and the Role of African Youth in this regard. The Conference featured the participation of representatives of the national parliaments of the African Union member States, representatives of the African national assemblies, and other relevant parliaments, in addition to representatives of civil society and some United Nations offices.

The Conference was organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), concerned with parliamentary participation in preventing and combatting terrorism, and seated in Doha, with the assistance of the Shurah Council and cooperation with the National Assembly of the Republic of Togo, the African Parliamentary Union, and the Inter-parliamentary Committee of the G5 Sahel.

The Conference is part of the quest to find means that would enable parliamentarians to consolidate the participation of youth in policy-making operations and increase awareness of the significant role that youth should play in preventing violent extremism.

The House of Representatives was represented by a high-level delegation composed of:

  • Rep. Zineb Simou and Rep. Hatim Ben Rkia (Group of the National Rally of Independents);
  • Rep. Nadia Bouzandoufa and Rep. Idriss Chebchali (Group of Authenticity and Modernity);
  • Rep. Madiha Khyir and Rep. Abdelilah Amehdi (Istiqlali Group of Unity and Egalitarianism);
  • Rep. Aicha Zelfa (Socialist Group).

The first day of the Conference featured three sessions. The first session covered understanding youth's roles in decision-making and the means through which parliamentarians may empower them. During the second session, the participants shed light on the successful experiences of cooperation between parliamentarians and youth regarding combatting terrorism and preventing violent extremism, in addition to the lessons drawn from this cooperation. On the other hand, the third session featured a dialogue between policy-makers and youth regarding the consolidation of youth participation in decision-making.

In their intervention during the third session, the Moroccan delegation highlighted the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco in including youth in all life areas by constitutionalizing their rights and imposing them on all political categories, i.e., governments, institutions, and territorial collectivities. On the same occasion, the delegation also underlined the increasing participation of youth within the legislative institution and the mechanisms that enable them to participate effectively in decision-making, especially public dialogue mechanisms.

The second day of the Conference featured the first meeting of the Parliamentary Working Group on Combatting Terrorism in Africa. The participants in the meeting discussed the dialogue between parliamentarians to understand the significant challenges they face in making policies and programs related to preventing violent extremism, implementing the laws on protecting terrorism victims and national action plans, exploring ways to address the increasing challenges that law-makers face, in addition to addressing border security, terrorism financing in Africa, and international cooperation.