India:UNODC joins EU-India Dialogue championing preventive approaches to counter violent extremism

New Delhi, India/19 March 2025: The threat of violent extremism knows no borders—and neither should the solutions. There is increasing global recognition that balancing prevention, intervention and enforcement is essential for a strategic and sustainable response. Prioritizing prevention—through education, community engagement, and resilience-building--requires early action and multi-sectoral cooperation.

This shared commitment was echoed at a EU-India technical workshop on preventing and countering violent extremism, held in New Delhi alongside the Raisina Dialogue.

Organized by the European Union in cooperation with the Embassy of the Netherlands under the ESIWA+ (Enhancing the EU’s Security Cooperation In and With Asia and the Indo-Pacific) initiative, the workshop brought together 25 counterterrorism experts, Indian and EU security officials, UNODC and civil society leaders for deliberations on strategies and solutions. EU Ambassador to India Mr. Hervé Delphin opened the workshop.

Discussions centered on whole-of-government approaches, risk evaluation processes, exit programs and reintegration strategies. The need to engage young people was emphasised as the first line of defense against violent extremism.

Sharing emerging vulnerabilities faced by young people, UNODC’s Communications Officer for South Asia Mr. Samarth Pathak presented insights from the RiseUp4Peace initiative—an educational initiative spearheaded in collaboration with educator partners in India at the school level.

Over 6,800 educators and 27,000 students across 14 states/UTs have been engaged and empowered through RiseUp4Peace, integrating key interlinked themes in classrooms—including inclusion, drug use prevention, cyber safety, anti-bullying and gender equality, among others.

The initiative has also built capacities of educators, conducted interactive activity-based programs with students, fostered cross-learning and co-created good practices to promote a culture of peace, the rule of law and social responsibility.

Participants welcomed the initiative as an action-oriented model that bridges education with prevention to build resilience in young people. “Equipping youth with empathy, resilience, and awareness is not only protective but transformative,” noted a delegate.

According to a press note, Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service said, “By sharing expertise and fostering dialogue, we are strengthening our collective ability to prevent and counter violent extremism while upholding democratic values and human rights.” Former NIA Director General Dinkar Gupta echoed the importance of shared learning, stating, “Learning from each other’s experiences will help us build more effective strategies for deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and long-term prevention.”