In the midst of UN discussions on the Secretary-General's recent Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE), QUNO co-hosted the launch of three reports by Saferworld on counter-terrorism, stabilisation and statebuilding in Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen. A packed room of Member States, UN officials, think tanks and NGOs engaged with multiple panels of speakers, including experts on PVE and the regions concerned, as well as UN representatives. 

The reports highlight the failures of counter-terrorism, stabilisation and statebuilding to promote peace and stop violent militancy from spreading across the Middle East and North Africa. Participants debated lessons from past international engagement with terror and instability, and considered future approaches that would rely less on security-based counter-terrorism strategies. The roundtable came at an opportune time, when the UN is seeking to revitalise the international community's promotion of peace and stability in the face of contemporary security threats.