Campaign Background
The PGA Campaign to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism is part of an advocacy effort to address and eliminate the theoretical/ideological and practical bases of violent extremism. As the largest transnational network of individual parliamentarians committed to human rights, PGA is ideally placed to contribute to the global effort to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
Violent extremism is no longer the element that characterizes a loose global network like Al-Qaeda or a relatively localized armed movement like the “Taliban”, but has become the ideological source of inspiration of multiple groups that have emerged in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), alongside other groups from the Horn of Africa and Sahel regions.
Terrorism and armed conflict caused by violent extremism have been on the rise across the globe over the last two decades. Given the urgent need to respond to this dramatic threat to human civilization through the Rule of Law, rather than violent retaliation, the PGA Board decided that this new area of work should fall under the International Law & Human Rights Program of PGA.
It was PGA Members from the MENA region (i.e. Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Lebanon), together with European MPs, who proposed the creation of this campaign in the months that followed the unexpected spillover of the Syrian conflict into Iraq, with the occupation of Mosul in June 2014 and the emergence of an entity that resembles a state (the self-described 'Islamic State', also known as ISIL/ISIS/Da’esh).
Campaign Objectives
- Eradicate the support-base of violent extremism through effective counter-messaging and supporting accountable governance in the MENA region by promoting strategies based on (i) strengthening/building the Rule of Law, (ii) upholding democratic principles and institutions, (iii) developing credible accountability mechanisms, (iv) advancing freedom of expression and a healthy civil society, respect for diversity of religions and beliefs, and (v) promoting and protecting human rights and gender equality;
- Bring to justice perpetrators of mass-atrocity crimes and end impunity while halting extra-judicial executions and other unlawful and counter-productive practices reproducing a vicious cycle of violence;
- Support proportionate and necessary military action to liberate civilian populations and halt mass-atrocity crimes, including the crime against humanity of enslavement of women and children
- Increased understanding and awareness among key policy-makers on the lawfulness under international law of military action in the framework of counter-terrorism and/or preventing and countering violent extremism
- Protect religious, ethnic and vulnerable groups, human rights and gender equality while implementing the relevant UNSC resolutions, in coordination with relevant Inter-Governmental Action Plans
- Encourage all States and entities of the International Community through their Members of Parliament to fight radicalization in their territory and marginalize the religious, political and financial ideologists of violent extremism, and improve their legal, jurisdictional, penitentiary and prevention systems
Role of Parliamentarians
Parliamentarians are in a crucial position as they have law-making and policy-making prerogatives and are engaged in law-making and policy-making, including resource-allocation, implementation and accountability across the spectrum of preventive response and sanctioning mechanisms. Their empowerment and sensitization can also lead to a transformational shift towards democratic governance, which can address some of the grievances feeding violent extremism. Through parliamentary motions, statements, resolutions, demarches to the executive and judicial branches, public debates and legislative initiatives, Parliamentarians from around can help achieve the objectives of this campaign.
The work of Parliamentarians can bring about a critical mass of concrete political actions proving the existence of a global parliamentary constituency in support of efforts preventing and countering violent extremism, including stabilization programming, strategic counter-messaging, preventing the recruitment of foreign fighters, stopping the financing of those violent extremist groups and, as required and permitted under International Law, taking proportionate military action.
Activities
With our network of 1,300+ MPs, PGA will work to foster political and legislative action through field missions, consultations, and parliamentary events, high level conferences, and strategy sessions. In a manner fully inclusive of gender, race, and religion, PGA supports the following activities:
- 25 January 2017: PGA Members proposed and intervened in the Hearing of the European Parliament Human Rights Sub-Committee on “The fight against impunity and non-state actors' accountability for human rights violations” held in the Altiero Spinelli Building (Room 1G-3), European Parliament, Brussels. The first speaker who addressed the Sub-Committee was Ms. Laura Passoni, a former ‘Daesh’ recruit. One of most renowned international legal experts in this area, Prof. Andrew Clapham (Geneva), was heard upon suggestion of a prominent PGA Member. Prof. Mark Kersten, a dynamic Canadian academic, was also heard by Parliament via Skype connection. The hearing can be viewed at www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20170118IPR58728/subcommittee-on-human-rights-meeting-25012017-(am), [starting from minute 32:45]. PGA European Parliament’s Members are engaged in relevant follow-up actions.
- 20 May 2016: PGA Secretary General meets with Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) to discuss future partnership on this campaign
- 10 February 2016: Congressional Briefing on “Justice for ISIS Atrocities? How US Policy on the International Criminal Court Can Help Promote Accountability in Iraq and Syria”, Washington DC, co-organized with the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, ABA, American Univ. and Washington ICC WG
- 16 October 2014: MPs from MENA Region discuss the ICC and fight against impunity for international crimes at the 6th Session of PGA’s Working Group on the Universality of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in the MENA Region in Amman, Jordan
