PURPOSE: By the resolution 77/243; The United Nations General Assembly declared February 12th as International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism (PVE day). The aims of the day is to strengthen the international community’s resolve to address the conditions conducive to terrorism, to raise awareness on the threat of violent extremism and to renew commitments to collaborate on preventing its spread. The observance of International PVE Day provides an opportunity for the global community to come together and explore innovative ways to transform the commitments outlined in the Pact for the Future into meaningful and concrete actions, to create a safer world and lasting peace for generations to come.

FORUM: “Preventing Violent Extremism in the Digital Age: Anticipating New and Emerging Technologies Risks and Opportunities, Safeguarding Human Rights, and Empowering Future Generations“ International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism 2026. Violent extremism conducive to terrorism continues to evolve in scope and form, undermining social cohesion and sustainable development. In recent years, extremist groups have increasingly exploited digital technologies. Online platforms, algorithmic systems, and other new and emerging technologies are being used to amplify propaganda, facilitate recruitment, and accelerate radicalization to violence, adding significant complexity to prevention efforts. Millions of people have fled the territory controlled by terrorist and violent extremist groups. Violent extremism conducive to terrorism remains a profound challenge to global peace and security. The rise of new tools, in digital and offline spaces, for spreading violent extremist ideologies has further amplified this threat, creating unprecedented opportunities for harmful narratives to take root and grow. Terrorist groups like ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and their affiliates continue to exploit instability and conflict to expand and intensify attacks in many parts of the world. These groups exploit conflict, fragility, poverty, weak governance and marginalization to recruit and indoctrinate followers including through narratives of grievance and actual or perceived injustice. No country is immune from the threat of terrorist attacks and the impact of terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism. While Member States and their respective national institutions have primary responsibility in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, religious leaders, and the media also play an important role in addressing this scourge. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #12february, #extremists, #violentextremism, #counterterrorism, #PVEDay. 

EVENTS: On February 12th 2026, the United Nations will commemorate the fourth International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism’ through a series of events and activities.

At UNHQ on 12 February, starting at 16:00 PM EDT, the high-level event to mark the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Iraq to the UN and UNOCT, under the framework of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Compact Working Group on PCV will be held.The event is held under the framework of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Working Group on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism. The event will provide a platform to bring together Member States, the United Nations system, programme beneficiaries and PVE stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, academia, and the media, to reaffirm shared commitments to prevention, raise awareness of evolving technological risks and opportunities, and renew cooperation on inclusive, human rights-based, and evidence-driven approaches to preventing violent extremism. Get the Agenda/Concept note and Watch the live event!

On February 12th, starting at 21:00 PM EDT a Side Event entitled ‘‘From Principles to Practice: Special Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism” Organized by UNOCT will be held. AI is rapidly becoming one of the most influential forces shaping today's information environment. From how content is generated and shared to how communities engage with ideas, identities and grievances, AI is also transforming the spaces in which violent extremism conducive to terrorism can take root, and in which it can be prevented. Against this backdrop, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), within the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), in partnership with the Republic of Korea, have been implementing the Artificial Intelligence and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (AI and PCVE) Project and are now convening a Special Dialogue that will seek to:

• Increase awareness of the evolving AI and PCVE landscape, including how violent extremist actors are exploiting AI and its related implications for PCVE.

• Examine the human rights, gender, ethical, and operational risks associated with AI-enabled PCVE tools as well as discuss concrete strategies for risk mitigation, human rights-based and responsible governance.

• Showcase practical experiences and emerging opportunities for the responsible use of AI in PCVE, including perspectives from practitioners, platforms, youth, and policymakers.

• Launch the UNOCT Practice Guide on AI and PCVE, highlighting its purpose and practical value for policymakers and practitioners.

• Highlight key lessons learned from the AI and PCVE Project and outline priorities the next iteration of this work with a focus on organizational readiness, leadership, and institutional capacity.

Register to participate; Get the Concept note and watch the livestream!

STATEMENTS: Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) 2026; February 12th.

• Opening remarks by Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism on the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) 2026; February 12th.

PUBLICATIONS: The United Nations Secretary-General presented a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism to the General Assembly. on January 15th 2016; On 12 February 2016, the General Assembly adopted a resolution welcoming the initiative by the Secretary-General, and taking note of his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent ExtremismThe Plan of Action calls for a comprehensive approach encompassing not only essential security-based counter-terrorism measures but also systematic preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups. The Plan is an appeal for concerted action by the international community. It provides more than 70 recommendations to Member States and the United Nations System to prevent the further spread of violent extremism.

"Who supports violent extremism in developing countries? What are the common characteristics among radicalized individuals, willing to justify attacks targeting civilians? Drawing on information on attitudes toward extreme violence and other characteristics of 30,787 individuals from 27 developing countries around the world, and employing a variety of econometric techniques, this paper identifies the partial correlates of extremism. The results suggest that the typical extremist who supports attacks against civilians is more likely to be young, unemployed and struggling to make ends meet, relatively uneducated, and not as religious as others, but more willing to sacrifice own life for his or her beliefs. Gender and marital status are not found to explain significantly the individual-level variation in attitudes toward extremism. Although these results may vary in magnitude and significance across countries and geographic regions, they are robust to various sensitivity analyses. Read the full policy working paper!

Countering violent extremism while respecting the rights and autonomy of women and their communities. Issued by the 1325 Committee. At present the world is gripped with fear of rising violent extremism. Although research shows that societies that respect women’s rights are less prone to extremism, women’s rights should not be securitized and should not be seen as an instrumental tool for countering extremism. Rather, women’s rights are an end in and of themselves. Across regions, a common thread shared by extremist groups is that in every instance their advance has been coupled with attacks on the rights of women and girls—rights to education, to public life, and to decision-making over their own bodies. Counter-terrorism and CVE overlook the spectrum of roles that women play in both preventing and participating in violent extremism. The women peace and security agenda provides a framework for a de-militarized and preventive response to terrorism and violent extremism, and several recent international mandates acknowledge this correlation. The risk of co-opting and instrumentalizing women’s rights is high. Where women’s advocacy becomes too closely associated with a government’s counter terrorism agenda, the risk of backlash against women’s rights defenders, in often already volatile environments, increases. Women are also impacted by counter-terrorism tactics: securitization can increase women’s insecurity and stricter banking procedures and donor policies can impact women’s organizations adversely. As such, women are ‘squeezed’ between terrorism and counter-terrorist responses. Read the full publication!

Countering Violent Extremism Online and Offline issued by START. In the wake of devastating attacks by violent extremists around the world, policy makers have invested considerable effort into understanding terrorists’ use of the Internet as they radicalize and mobilize to violence. Read the full publication!