Baghdad: Iraq and Malaysia, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), held a high-level side event at UN Headquarters on June 30th, highlighting efforts to counter violent extremism and focusing on youth resilience, community partnerships, and reintegration.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the event, held on the sidelines of UN Counter-Terrorism Week 2026, brought together senior government officials, UN partners, and practitioners to discuss how to translate national leadership in preventing and countering violent extremism into practical, community-owned actions. This discussion drew on Malaysia's whole-of-government MyPCVE 2024-2028 strategy and Iraq's national efforts to repatriate, rehabilitate, and reintegrate its citizens from camps in northeast Syria.

'Preventing violent extremism requires more than just security responses,' said the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations, Luqman Abdul Rahim Al-Faily, during the event, calling instead for 'comprehensive national policies, strong local ownership, resilient communities, and effective partnerships that empower individuals, particularly youth, to become active partners in building peace and inclusive societies.'

He noted that 'Iraq's strategy is implemented through the National Committee for Preventing Violent Extremism, under the supervision of the National Security Advisor, while prevention efforts are carried out at the local level through coordination mechanisms in the governorates.'

The Senior Undersecretary of the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs, Zulkifli Abidin, shared Malaysia's five decades of experience in addressing evolving threats, including a 2024 attack on a police station carried out by a self-radicalized young man.

Abidin outlined 'three lessons learned from that experience: prevention begins in local communities; youth are indispensable partners, not merely beneficiaries of policies; and sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration depend on ongoing cooperation between the government and society.' The ensuing discussion focused on how to implement these commitments in practice.

'Iraq has transferred more than 21,500 people from Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria since 2021, and more than 18,000 of them have been rehabilitated and reintegrated,' said the Director General of the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, Ali Abbas Jahakir Badrawi, regarding Iraq's experience.

He also noted 'the sensitivity of reintegrating returnees into communities that suffered under Daesh and highlighted the role of the Al-Amal Rehabilitation Center, which implements more than 88 programs in partnership with Iraqi academics and experts.'

In turn, Mohammed Yasser, IOM Return and Reintegration Program Officer in Iraq, stated that 'preventing violent extremism is not just a security issue,' but also 'a matter of trust, dignity, belonging, and the ability of communities to recover from violence. IOM supports the Iraqi-led national return process through tools that assess the needs of returnees without stigmatizing them, and by creating shared spaces, from school activities to sports and volunteer initiatives, where young returnees and host communities can rebuild trust through joint action rather than just words.'

The discussions also explored 'the challenges associated with managing families' expectations during lengthy return processes, balancing support for the reintegration of returnees with achieving justice for victims of terrorism, and the sensitivity of reintegrating families into communities directly harmed by Daesh.'

The speakers pointed out that 'community dialogue, led by local and tribal figures, has helped several communities in Iraq reconsider the return of conflict-related families.'

In closing, Abidin explained that 'the return of foreign terrorist fighters from a third country, the process may seem easier, while ongoing monitoring and support for reintegration after arrival is the most challenging.'

Ambassador Al-Faily also shared his reflections on the transnational nature of violent extremism, noting that ideology "transcends national borders," and calling for "continued international dialogue alongside local solutions based on whole-of-society engagement."