Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law

Co-chaired by Egypt and the United States, this Working Group focuses on the critical role the criminal justice sector plays in combating terrorism.  It demonstrates the Forum's commitment to supporting rule-of-law based and human rights compliant approaches to combating and preventing terrorism.

Workshop on Implementing the Rabat Good Practices in Investigating and Prosecuting Terrorism Cases, 27-28 March 2013, Entebbe, Uganda

Organized by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Security Sector Program in collaboration with the GCTF, this workshop brought together senior prosecutors and police officers from IGAD member countries and GCTF member states to discuss practical ways to implement the Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector. 

READ THE MEETING SUMMARY >>

Introduction for Prosecutors and Investigating Judges to the Rabat Memorandum, 16-17 January 2013, Frankfurt, Germany

Hosted by the United States, this workshop brought together experts from a number of GCTF members and key partners to discuss the implementation of selected good practices articulated in the GCTF's Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector. 

READ THE MEETING SUMMARY>>

Third Meeting of the Working Group, 23-24 May 2012, The Hague, Netherlands

Attended by criminal-justice experts from GCTF members as well as the United Nations, other global and regional multilateral organizations, and non-governmental organizations, this meeting, chaired by the Netherlands, focused on developing a capacity-building framework to implement the good practices in the Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector. Participants agreed to develop a work plan with a wide range of activities linked directly or indirectly to the Rabat Memorandum, including activities conducted in conjunction with the GCTF's regional capacity-building Working Groups. Photo: Delegates convene in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Photo courtesy of Dutch MFA. 

READ THE MEETING SUMMARY >>

Second Meeting of the Working Group, 7-8 February 2012, Rabat, Morocco

Co-chaired by Egypt and the United States, this meeting brought together criminal-justice experts from GCTF members and the United Nations to review the draft compendium of good practices for effective counterterrorism in the criminal justice sector developed during and after the Inaugural Meeting (see below). Participants tentatively accepted the draft compendium, now named the Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector, referring it to the Coordinating Committee, which adopted it at the Ministerial level in Istanbul on 7 June 2012.

Inaugural Meeting of the Working Group, 3-4 November 2011, Washington

Hosted by Egypt and the United States, this meeting was attended by more than 130 senior prosecutors and other senior criminal justice officials from 30 countries and international organizations. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder delivered the opening remarks. A key outcome of the meeting was an agreement on the key elements of a compendium of good practices for effective counterterrorism in the criminal justice sector, which eventually became the Rabat Memorandum. Photo: Judge Jean-Paul Laborde (left) of the French Cour de Cassation, keynote speaker for the meeting, makes a point as Anton du Plessis of the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa listens. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of State. 

READ THE MEETING SUMMARY >>