Advisory Board Roundtable and Second Regional Meeting of the Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Strategic Communications, the Internet and Social Media

Kuala Lumpur, 14-16 May 2024 – Hisham Muhaimi, a Project Coordinator at INITIATE.MY, participated in the “Advisory Board Roundtable and Second Regional Meeting of the Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Strategic Communications, the Internet and Social Media”, organised by the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counterterrorism (SEARCCT) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC). During the event, he shared the strategic communications programming conducted by the organisation and contributed to the broader discussion on effective communication strategies for preventing violent extremism (PVE) among key stakeholders to enhance the regional capacities.

In Southeast Asia, UNODC is actively implementing a regional project aimed at addressing the evolving threats of online radicalisation and the exploitation of online spaces by violent extremist and terrorist groups. The gathering aimed to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and develop effective strategies to counter these threats.

In promoting this, UNODC has been technically supporting the establishment of a regional PVE network in Southeast Asia through a Preparatory Working Group of PVE Practitioners (PWG-PVE) of Southeast Asia as a regional cooperation platform to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and good practices across seven thematic areas, including strategic communications, the Internet, and social media. 

The working group was operationalised during the group’s first meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on 28-29 March 2023. The meeting resulted in the development of tailored guidelines for developing and implementing effective strategic communication campaigns and narratives, addressing the specific needs and grievances of young people.