Doha Youth Parliamentary Forum on Counter-Terrorism and Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, with the support of the Shura Council of the State of Qatar launched the Doha Youth Parliamentary Forum on 9 November 2024. This initiative, entitled “Promoting Youth Perspectives in Parliamentary Responses to Terrorism and Violent Extremism (CT/PCVE),” aims to establish a youth-inclusive parliamentary framework that allows young people to contribute meaningfully to CT/PCVE policies and initiatives at both national and international levels.
The Forum included a series of thematic university seminars hosted on 9 and 16 November in partnership with leading universities in Qatar: Qatar University (QU), Georgetown University in Qatar (GT-Q), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), and Lusail University (LU). This series of seminars will bring together students, youth leaders, national and international experts, parliamentarians, and policymakers to discuss CT/PCVE topics.
The university seminars will culminate in a Closing Plenary Youth Parliamentary Forum on November 27 and 28, where young parliamentarians from various parliamentary assemblies will join an open forum to present the outcomes of these discussions. Representatives from international organizations, civil society, and global parliamentary networks will participate, reinforcing the commitment to incorporating youth perspectives into CT/PCVE efforts worldwide.
The Seminars
On 9 November, the first round of thematic seminars was held at the Georgetown University - Qatar with students across all four partnering universities:
- The first seminar focused on “Youth Engagement and Empowerment in PCVE Policy Design” exploring strategies to strengthen youth involvement in policy-making processes for more inclusive and effective prevention measures.
- The second seminar addressed “Integrating Human Rights and Youth Perspectives in Counter-Terrorism Legislation,” highlighting security and respect for fundamental rights as mutually reinforcing in preventing and countering terrorism.
Subsequently, a third seminar was held at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, where the session explored “Understanding Terrorist and Violent Extremist Exploitation of Online Video Games,” examining cybersecurity risks and legislative measures needed to address this emerging threat.
Following these seminars, two additional sessions were held at Qatar University and Lusail University on 16 November 2024.
