JIHADIST AND ETHNO-NATIONALIST TERRORISM AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM | SITUATION state of emergency, which it has since extended several times, and action is being taken against all opponents, including the PKK. In the Kurdish region of northern Syria, the PKK's sister party, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), is using its YPG (People's Protection Units) militia to defend the areas it controls, known as Rojava or the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria. Besides demanding freedom for its symbolic figurehead, Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK is focusing its efforts on ensuring the continued survival of Rojava and obtaining international recognition for it. After the referendum on independence for the Kurdish area of northern Iraq in autumn 2017, the invasion by Iraq's central government and the economic sanctions by Iran and Turkey did not trigger any countermeasures by the PKK. National Action Plan to prevent and counter radicalisation and violent extremism In December 2017, the Swiss Security Network SSN (Confederation, cantons, cities, municipalities) presented its National Action Plan to prevent and counter radicalisation and violent extremism. The Federal Council took note of the Action Plan and announced its intention to support the implementation of the Action Plan by funding a five-year stimulus programme. The Action Plan focusses on prevention, one of the four action areas laid down in Switzerland's counter-terrorism strategy. This strategy was ratified by the Federal Council in September 2015. Proposals include the use of tools for early detection, the introduction of a threat management system and the development of measures to promote disengagement and reintegration. In addition, the Action Plan recommends various training measures for a wide range of officials and emphasises the foreign policy commitment to preventing violent extremism. It is particularly important to support and empower children, young people and women as important actors in prevention. These measures are to be implemented by the authorities in collaboration with civil society, and where possible are designed to build on and integrate existing measures and programmes. The report lists the specialist units and contact points which anyone with questions relating to suspected radicalisation can and should contact. Some of these units are run by the police. Anyone who has information on radicalisation or violent extremist or terrorist activities can and should contact them. Anything believed to be suspicious can be reported to any police station and, in urgent cases, by calling the 117 police hotline. This ensures that no time is lost before the police can intervene. In this way, spontaneous communications from the public can be processed efficiently by the cantonal and communal police forces and if necessary forwarded to the specialist units responsible or to other security authorities. Online at: https://www.ejpd.admin.ch/dam/data/ejpd/aktuell/news/2017/2017-12-04/171204-nap-e.pdf SIT UAT ION R E PORT 2 0 1 8 | FIS 41