Male, Maldives – Sept. 16, 2024 – The Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS), in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) of the Maldives, hosted a workshop aimed at revising and updating the country’s strategy on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). The one-day event was designed to help the NCTC assess and improve the National Strategy on P/CVE (NS-PCVE) and its associated National Action Plan (NAP-PCVE).

DKI APCSS previously assisted in drafting the initial NS-PCVE, which was first published in 2017. The NAP-PCVE followed in 2020, designed to guide efforts through 2024. With the Maldives now seeking to update both documents, DKI APCSS was asked to assist despite budget constraints reducing the planned two-day workshop to a single day.

Despite the condensed timeframe, the workshop successfully achieved its primary objectives. The key goals included enhancing participants’ understanding of global, regional, and local trends in violent extremism, assessing current capabilities and procedures, and strengthening interagency cooperation between government and non-government stakeholders involved in P/CVE efforts in the Maldives.

Workshop Outcomes

Key outcomes of the workshop included:

• Increased understanding of recent developments in violent extremism and terrorism.
• A critical review of the Maldives’ P/CVE strategy and action plan.
• Improved collaboration among various government and non-government agencies.
• Formulation of policy recommendations for revising the NS-PCVE and NAP-PCVE.
• Strengthened ties between DKI APCSS, the Maldives’ NCTC, and the government.

Participants

The workshop was attended by 36 senior representatives from 29 different ministries, agencies, and organizations, including:

• The Ministry of Defence
• The Ministry of Islamic Affairs
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The Ministry of Economic Development
• The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)

Key attendees included the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Abdhulraheem Hassan; State Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Abdulla Phairoosch; the incoming Director of the NCTC, Col. Ahmed, and the outgoing Director, Col. Amanulla.

Several DKI APCSS alumni were also present, including Vice Chief of Defence Forces Brigadier General Ahmed Ghiyas(OR 10-1, CS 16-1); Incoming Director of NCTC, Colonel Ismail Farween (ASC 18-2); Colonel Amanulla Rasheed. The outgoing Director of NCTC (CS 18-1), Major Ibrahim Thaufeeq, Head of Awareness and Programs, NCTC (CSC 23-1), and LTC Adnan Mohamed, Head of Strategic Communications, NCTC (CS 14-1)

Next Steps

The NCTC plans to hold further consultations with stakeholders to revise the NS-PCVE and NAP-PCVE. Following these discussions, additional input from DKI APCSS will be sought before the updated strategies are finalized and published.