The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) recently hosted a three-day roundtable meeting of the Criminal Justice and Rule of Law Working Group (CJROL), under the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF) in Abuja. The roundtable meeting was a build-up to Nigeria and Switzerland taking over from the United State of America (USA) and Egypt, as the Co-Chairs of the CJROL working group at the just concluded side event of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Nigeria and Switzerland in the next two years will be working together as partners towards advancing the two countries objectives on the global fight against terrorism within the purview of Criminal Justice and Rule of Law.
Speaking during the roundtable meeting, the Coordinator Counter Terrorism Centre, Commodore YEM Musa who is the Nigeria Co-Chair of the Working Group stated that GCTF has been a major player in providing a platform where countries come together and exchange ideas and experiences in order to offer solutions to the world challenges posed by terrorism.
The Coordinator further explained that the platform had not only helped countries to address their terrorism challenges but helped them to support the implementation of the United Nation Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. Stating that the Forum has supported greatly non-military approaches to counter terrorism, using Rule of Law and Human Right Compliant methodologies.
The Swiss Co-Chair, Ambassador at Large for international Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Stephen Husy said Nigeria-Swiss Co-Chair was due to intensive corporation between the two countries. He emphasized the need to look for civil based legal solutions in preventing and countering violent extremism.
The Nigeria- Swiss Co-Chairs proposed cooperation with other GCTF Emerging and Regional Working Groups on the issues of mutual, interest and concern that would be identified after the determination of the other Working Groups Priorities. The areas of cooperation would include Detention and Reintegration; Capacity Building for strengthening Investigation, Prosecution and Adjudication; Preventing Violent Extremism; Border Security and other activities in the Lake Chad Basin and West Africa Region, and Proliferation of Small Arms and light weapons.
Meanwhile, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) has expressed readiness to partner with the Criminal Justice and Rule of Law Working Group in combating Violent Extremism. The Director of study at the Institute, Hajiya, Maryam Kawu stated this in Abuja when the CJRLO working group visited the Institute to seek collaboration with the Institute in implementing its strategic plan in the next two years.