The UAE and UK signed an agreement to provide additional support to Hedayah, an Abu Dhabi anti-extremism think tahnk.
The agreement was signed by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The agreement involves the launch of a new taskforce of British experts to help support the work of the International Centre for Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, or Hedayah.
During the meeting, Mr Johnson said that violent extremism is “a global problem that requires global leadership and local partnerships,”
“The UK has a close friend and partner in the United Arab Emirates, and I am grateful to the Emirati Government for their continued leadership and commitment as together we tackle the scourge of extremism.”
The support for Hedayah is expected to help governments develop and implement national action plans to prevent violent extremism. The planned programmes involve community policing and addressing the global threat posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters.
Hedayah was founded in Abu Dhabi in 2012. The UK has also committed to providing about US$1.4 million in support of Hedayah’s programmes for this year and next year, and a similar amount each financial year until March 2020.
newsdesk@thenational.ae