As part IOM Iraq’s support to the Government of Iraq on the implementation of its national prevention of violent extremism (PVE) strategy, IOM arranged a visit of the ‘National Committee for the Implementation of the National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism’ to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to exchange expertise and best practices in PVE with local counterparts, paying special attention to gender-inclusive strategy, local-national coordination and the role of civil society in PVE.

"This exchange comes as a part of the National Committee's interest and effort to communicate and look into international experiences relevant to countering and preventing violent extremism and hate speech. The visit facilitates the exchange of expertise and experiences between relevant stakeholders and institutions in BiH, in cooperation with IOM," stated Ali Abdullah, President of the National Committee.

The itinerary has included discussions with national-level government officials on the BiH’s national PVE strategy; talks with different level government representatives on their efforts in PVE, as well as challenges in and opportunities for implementation; and meetings with local government officials on budgeting and the participation of local communities in designing and implementing PVE programmes.

The delegation attended a reception with the international community hosted by the Ministry of Security of BiH and IOM BiH. They also had the opportunity to speak with youth and parents in Zenica, where they heard about practical implications of the methodologies and whole-of-society approach.

IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina is happy to be part of this collaboration and to present our efforts invested into creating resilient communities, empowering youth and parents across BiH, through “Providing support to youth in local communities in local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina” and “Bosnia and Herzegovina Resilience Initiative” (BHRI).

“This study visit represents a unique opportunity for everyone involved in PVE to exchange knowledge and experience and create useful connections between the two countries. We, at IOM BiH, are happy to welcome the Iraqi delegation and our colleagues from IOM Iraq, to share our results and lessons learned, and to bring together representatives of the relevant institutions, individuals, organizations, inclusion champions, to the same table and engaging in a whole of society approach to the prevention of extremisms,” said Laura Lungarotti, IOM BiH Chief of Mission and Sub-regional Coordinator for the Western Balkans.

This exchange was made possible thanks to collaboration with Violence Prevention Network (VPN) within the SIMVEX project, IOM BiH, and with the support of the Government of Canada.