The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism stated that the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) has “practical insights on various extremist groups. The 2022 report entitled “A Handbook of Southern Countries Initiatives in Combating Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism included,” in the paragraph entitled “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Host Country for Centers of Excellence to Advance Research Work in the Service of Peace and Security in the Arab Countries,” (Etidal) relies on a team of multidisciplinary researchers who possess data analysis tools and geopolitical, social and historical expertise to provide in-depth analyzes and practical insights on various extremist groups.
The report pointed out that the center received “local and international delegations interested in learning from its programs and tools to analyze and monitor extremist content on social media platforms that also interested in raising public awareness and presenting alternative discourses that are easy to understand and interesting at the same time. On April 2021, the Under-Secretary-General of the Counter-Terrorism Office and the Secretary-General of Etidal, of the efforts of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center to enhance international cooperation between centers of excellence working in the field of preventing and combating terrorism, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation in the field of preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremism when it would lead to terrorism
The report notes that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with (Etidal) is “evidence of the readiness of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center and the Etidal Center to unite efforts to support the international community’s efforts to confront the scourge of terrorism and prevent the spread of extremist ideologies. On April 1, 2021, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism, and Executive Director of the United Nations Center for Counter-Terrorism, and His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal), Dr. Mansour Al-Shammari, signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism.