OSCE calls for multidisciplinary approach to preventing violent extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

SARAJEVO, 8 December 2015 – Partnership between the security sector, civil society, local government and communities, and the private sector is of vital importance to effectively counter violent extremism in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), participants agreed at a two-day meeting organized by the OSCE Mission to BiH in co-operation with the Security Ministry that ended today.

The meeting gathered participants from the prosecutors’ offices, law enforcement agencies, relevant State ministries, municipalities, media and civil society who discussed establishment of strong partnerships aimed at countering violent extremism and radicalization in BiH.

“Only through the joint efforts of multiple stakeholders can we preserve our common values,” said Fermin Cordoba, Deputy Director of the Human Dimension Department at the OSCE Mission to BiH. “Strong relationships between members of different communities, based on respect, and dialogue, are essential to confronting intolerance and violent extremism.”

Mario Janecek of BiH’s Security Ministry, said: “Security agencies in BiH face many challenges, including the issues of foreign terrorist fighters and the misuse of the Internet for recruitment and spreading of terrorist propaganda. Terrorism is a systematic threat to the entire society and we need to work together on preventing radicalization of young people and on protecting the most vulnerable groups if we want to ensure democracy and freedom.”

Participants also concluded that security must be recognized as in the mutual interest of all citizens, and that citizens in local communities must be involved in co-operating with the authorities and educating youth about the risks of engaging in violent radicalization.

“We need to recognize positive examples of co-operation of non-governmental actors with the security sector and other government institutions,” said Hamza Visca of the Sarajevo-based Center for Security Studies. “These co-operation mechanisms should be further developed and transferred to other places to ensure a quality partnership between the NGO and security sectors.”

The event was organized within a project on supporting dialogue for the prevention of violent extremism in BiH. The project was launched by the OSCE Mission in September 2015 and contributes to the wider campaign, ‘United in Countering Violent Extremism’, that highlights the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to preventing violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism by branding all relevant activities under common slogan ‘#UnitedCVE’.