To specifically address the issue of radicalisation and violent extremism, the 12th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in 2018 adopted the ASEAN Plan of Action to Prevent and Counter the Rise of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism (PoA PCRVE) 2018-2025. The PoA PCRVE seeks to strengthen ASEAN cooperation on four priority areas: i) Prevention on Radicalisation and Violent Extremism; ii) Counter Radicalisation and Promotion of De-radicalisation; iii) Law Enforcement and Strengthening National Legislation Related to Countering Radicalisation and Violent Extremism; and iv) Partnership and Regional Cooperation. To implement this PoA, the 13th AMMTC in 2019 adopted the Work Plan of the PoA PCRVE 2019-2025, also known as the Bali Work Plan. Led by the Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), this Work Plan serves as a comprehensive and holistic policy guideline for 19 ASEAN Sectoral Bodies/Organs/Entities across pillars of ASEAN to address radicalisation and violent extremism in the region.

Cooperation on counter terrorism under the AMMTC   is referred to in the SOMTC Work Programme to Implement the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime. The Work Programme focuses on the exchange of information and best practices, including on deradicalization; rehabilitation and re-education of terrorists and violent extremists; research; building public awareness and counter narrative; promotion of joint operational activities, including with relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies; capacity building activities for law enforcement and criminal justice officials as well as agencies involved in countering terrorism financing and; promotion of cooperation with external partners.

In the defence sector, the focus of cooperation includes countering: (i) chemical, biological and radiological terrorism; (ii) maritime/sea-borne terrorism; and (iii) urban-terrorism. The cooperation is facilitated through information exchange and capacity-building activities such as workshops and joint exercises.  

Under the ambit of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), counter-terrorism is discussed at the Inter-Sessional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (ISM on CTTC).  Established in 2002, the ISM on CTTC aims to: 1) propose specific common policies to counter-terrorism and related transnational crimes for national and cooperative implementation by ARF participants; and 2) assess the state of counter terrorism action and cooperation against transnational crime in the region with a view to identifying priority areas for consideration and policy development. The ISM on CTTC is guided by the ARF Work Plan on CTTC which is periodically updated. The current Work Plan  covers the period of 2019-2021 and focuses on four priority areas: (i) illicit drugs; (ii) CBRN matters; (iii) preventing and countering violent extremism, and (iv) trafficking in persons. For more information on the work of the ARF including its key documents, please visit the ARF website at http://aseanregionalforum.asean.org/