(TAP) - Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, on Monday, reiterated his commitment to supporting all efforts to prevent and combat all forms of extremism and terrorism.

The government is open to all initiatives that ensure concerted efforts of national forces, state institutions and civil society to achieve this goal, he stressed.

Speaking at the multipartite meeting on the “action plan of the alternative narrative platform to combat terrorism”, Chahed pointed out that "the role of civil society in this field is elevated to the rank of partner of state institutions, because of its ability to access local communities, educate citizens and raise their awareness of the dangers threats of terrorism and extremism.”

He noted that the "Alternative Narrative Platform" ushers in a new stage providing for strengthening the foundations and the actual launch of the work on a wider scale and within a clear institutional framework under the supervision of the Minister to the Prime Minister in charge of Relations with Constitutional Institutions, Civil Society and Human Rights.

The Prime Minister said "the values that underpin this platform are the universal values of human rights, as it will promote the culture of difference and diversity and the values of tolerance, moderation and freedom of thought and belief."

"The government is aware of the importance of adopting different approaches that respond to the national counter-terrorism strategy," he further stressed.

For his part, Minister to the Prime Minister in charge of Relations with Constitutional Institutions, Civil Society and Human Rights Mohamed Fadhel Mahfoudh said the Ministry seeks through the alternative narrative platform to disseminate a narrative that upholds the social dimension in the fight against extremism.

Mahfoudh added that the project aims to address the rhetoric of extremist groups, dominate the cyberspace not to allow these groups to control this space, while ensuring that the alternative narrative becomes an interactive mechanism that enshrines democratic practice.

This will be done through communication strategies to produce content that can influence internet users especially young people, raising awareness among vulnerable groups and changing violent behaviors.

A partnership agreement in the field of alternative narrative and anti-extremism between the services of the Ministry to the Prime Ministry in charge of Relations with Constitutional Institutions, Civil Society and Human Rights and the Tunisian Television Corporation to air public service announcements and produce media contents to combat terrorism and extremism, CEO of the Tunisian Television Mohamed Lassaad Dahech told TAP.

The meeting was attended by a number of government members, MPs, heads of independent public authorities, representatives of diplomatic missions, civil society organisations and international organisations