Abu Dhabi - The centre seeks to provide solutions to the challenges of extremism and promote the UAE as a role model for tolerance and combating violent extremism.
Published: Tue 2 Jun 2020, 8:00 PM
Updated: Tue 2 Jun 2020, 10:16 PM
Members of the Federal National Council (FNC) on Tuesday approved a federal draft law that allows setting up a centre to combat extremism in the UAE and globally.
The centre seeks to provide solutions to the challenges of extremism and promote the UAE as a role model for tolerance and combating violent extremism.
The draft law aims to address the conditions that resulted from the earlier establishment of the International Centre of Excellence in Combating Terrorism and Violent Extremism under Federal Law No. 7 of 2013, and its provisions in Article No. 16 which called for eliminating the law after five years.
From the date of abolition of the law in 2018, there has been an urgent need for a new law to re-establish the centre because of its importance and to continue with its vital role of combating extremism internationally and locally, according to the draft law report read to the FNC members during a virtual meeting.
According to the draft law, a centre called "The International Centre for Excellence in Combating Terrorism and Violent Extremism" will be established, and it will be called the "Hidaya Center".
The centre will find a common ground for dialogue and exchange of opinion. It will serve as the premier international hub for policy makers, practitioners and researchers of counter-terrorism to enhance understanding and share good practices to build the capacity of counter violent extremism actors across the globe to promote tolerance, stability and security. It will also address current threats in counter violent extremism by organising capacity building activities and workshops.
According to the draft law, it is prohibited to use the centre to carry out any activities that violate the state's laws, conflict with its interests or affect its internal affairs. Despite the centre's presence in the UAE, the state does not bear any responsibility for the actions committed by its employees when practising the centre's roles and activities, says the law.
The law does not stop the center's cooperation with the Global Forum to Combat Terrorism without the forum applying the legislation in force in the UAE or the centre's employees working for the forum. Priority however, will be appointing UAE nationals in the technical and administrative positions.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
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