This date, adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in its 77th session, promotes actions to raise awareness of threats linked to violent extremism conducive to terrorism in order to enhance international cooperation in this regard.

According to the UN, violent extremism is an affront to the purposes and principles of the UN itself and also undermines international peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

No country or region is immune to its effects, in the view of the political forum.

Thus, the date set in 2022 warns that violent extremism is a diverse phenomenon, with no clear definition while it is neither new nor exclusive to any region, nationality or belief system.

“However, in recent years, terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram have shaped our image of violent extremism and the debate on how to address this threat,” the UN portal assures.

In this regard, the United Nations warns of drastic consequences for many of the world’s religions as a result of these groups’ message of religious, cultural or social intolerance.

By occupying territories and using social media for real-time global communication of their ideas and exploits, they seek to challenge our common values of peace, justice and human dignity.

Spreading violent extremism further worsens an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that already goes beyond the boundaries of regions including Africa or the Middle East.

As a consequence, millions of people are leaving controlled territories while migration flows are increasing out of and into conflict zones.

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