Hedayah, the Abu Dhabi-based International Centre of Excellence for CVE, the Centre for Middle Eastern and Strategic Studies and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, recently co-organised the Fourth Annual International Countering Violent Extremism, CVE, Research Conference 2017 in Antalya, Turkey.

Researchers, government officials and development experts gathered for the three-day global conference and identified lack of data as a key challenge. They added that more effective strategies for reducing the impact and drivers of radicalisation, counteracting recruitment methods and rehabilitating or reintegrating former foreign terrorist fighters were urgently needed.

Violent extremism, in its many forms and motives, continues to threaten the international community, fundamental human rights, and security. The threat of violent extremism spans across regions, national borders, cultures, religions, and ideologies, and is constantly evolving based on the local context.

In a recent report, UNDP found that deprivation, marginalisation and perceived state violence or abuse of power are pushing young Africans into the clutches of violent extremism.

The conference identified and presented a comprehensive understanding of the driving factors of violent extremism, while building a stronger network of researchers and policy-makers and ensuring the research informs policy and practice.

The conference's main partners and organisers included the Australian Government, the European Union, and UN Women. It featured both thematic and regional sessions to build the evidence base for P/CVE interventions, and also explored interactive discussions on research methods and challenges for the P/CVE field, as well as challenges and solutions for monitoring, measurement and evaluation (MM&E) for P/CVE.

Hedayah was created in response to the growing desire from members of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum and the wider international community for the establishment of an independent, multilateral centre. Hedayah was inaugurated in December 2012, with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

Hedayah is devoted to dialogue and communications, capacity building programmes, research and analysis to counter violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations.