USA WASHINGTON D.C, Wednesday 18 February 2015 – Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat, Deputy Minister of Defence, represented Brunei Darussalam at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism Ministerial Meeting on 18-19 February 2015 in Washington D.C., the United States of America, which aimed to develop an agenda to address the phenomenon of violent extremism.
In addressing the challenges of violent extremism, the Deputy Minister stated that it is also vital that religious education is directed at rejecting all forms of violence and promotes peace and tolerance, and respect for other religions.
The meeting brought together Ministers from more that 60 countries, the High Representative and Vice President of the European Union, the United Nations Secretary-General, the Secretaries General of the Council of Europe, the League of Arab States, Organisation of American States, Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the African Union’s Peace and Security Commissioner, and representatives from civil society and the private sector.
The Meeting adopted a Statement, which outlined a multi-stakeholder action agenda against violent extremism and charted a path for progress that would include a leaders-level summit on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2015.
Accompanying the Deputy Minister of Defence was Abu Sufian bin Haji Ali, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Defence Policy and Development).