On Monday 27 May, 2024, H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Abdel-Latif, Director-General of the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) and Professor Dr. Nazeer Mohamed Ayyad, General Supervisor of Al-Azhar International Center for Monitoring, Electronic Fatwa and Translation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signing ceremony took place at the Sheikhdom of Al Azhar Al Sharif in Cairo.
 
The agreement aims to enhance the combined efforts of the two Centers, within the broader framework of Egypt’s on-going contributions regionally and internationally to counter extremism conducive to terrorism, in view of its successful experience in this vein. It reflects the keenness of relevant national institutions to join forces and ensure effective coordination, in order to deconstruct and refute extremist narratives that give rise to terrorism and create positive and alternative ones grounded in peaceful coexistence and moderate religious teachings. 

Thus, the MoU provides a framework to promote synergies between Al-Azhar Observatory, with its role in awareness-raising and CCCPA, with its long standing experience in building African and Arab capacities.

The two parties agreed to boost collaboration through the exchange of expertise and joint activities in areas of common interest. Opportunities for cooperation include a range of fields, namely preventing radicalisation and extremism leading to terrorism; enhancing capacities for dialogue, negotiation, mediation and reconciliation; conflict resolution; promoting the role of women and youth in peace and security, with a particular focus on the role of women as agents of change and in prevention efforts. 

H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Abdel-Latif stressed the significance of this agreement that builds on existing and fruitful collaboration between CCCPA and the Observatory. He further highlighted that this collaboration contributes to mobilizing national efforts, drawing on Egypt’s own successful experience in adopting a holistic and preventive approach in addressing the structural factors that can give rise to radicalisation and extremism leading to terrorism - in line with the conclusions of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, for which CCCPA is the Secretariat, that emphasize the importance of a preventive approach in holistic efforts to confront terrorism. 

On his part, Professor Dr. Nazeer asserted that this MoU manifests the strong determination of the two parties to strengthen their cooperation capitalizing on Al Azhar’s role as regards refuting extremist ideologies on one hand and on CCCPA’s long experience in building African and Arab capacities on the other.

The signing ceremony was attended by Professor Dr. Mohamed Abdel Rahman Al-Duweiny, Deputy of Al-Azhar Al Sharif, Dr. Reham Salama, the director of the Observatory as well as a number of Al Azhar professors, experts and academics.