he Republic of Albania was represented at a high level by the National Coordinator for Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism, Ms. Lejdi Dervishi, at the 6th Global Summit of the Strong Cities Network, held in Toronto, Canada.

This international summit brought together more than 370 local leaders, mayors, government representatives, and civil society organizations from 116 cities and 46 countries, engaged in discussions on building safer, more inclusive, and resilient cities.

Ms. Dervishi spoke on the panel “National–Local Cooperation as the Foundation for Effective Prevention and Response,” where she presented the approaches of the National Coordinator’s Office in strengthening national–local cooperation for the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism, as well as the importance of empowering local capacities to build safer and more resilient communities.

In her remarks, the National Coordinator also emphasized that the prevention and countering of violent extremism is a continuous and long-term process that requires sustained institutional commitment. She underlined that institutions, from the national level to local governance, must remain constantly prepared to undertake effective actions in the event of crises or risks.

Furthermore, Ms. Dervishi presented Albania’s best practices, explaining the functioning of the National Referral Mechanism for P/CVE, highlighting the essential role of civil society organizations at the community level, and describing the coordinating role of the Ministry of Interior in strengthening inter-institutional and inter-sectoral cooperation for effective prevention and response to violent extremism.

The Summit, co-organized by the Strong Cities Network, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and Mayor Olivia Chow of the City of Toronto, serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas, evidence-based practices, and effective partnerships on issues of community safety, digital and economic inclusion, and national–local cooperation.