About the GCTF

The Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) is an informal, apolitical, multilateral counterterrorism platform. It is small, nimble, inclusive, and consensus-based. Its overarching mission is to reduce the vulnerability of people worldwide to terrorism by mobilizing expertise and resources to prevent, combat, and prosecute terrorist acts and counter incitement and recruitment to terrorism.

The Forum brings together policymakers and practitioners from around the world to share experiences and expertise, and to develop practical, publicly available tools and strategies on how to prevent and counter the evolving terrorist threat. The GCTF is currently co-chaired by Egypt and the European Union.

News

Progress made on the 2016 GCTF Good Practices Addendum during border security and management workshop in Rome.

16 and 17 April 2024

On 16 and 17 April, the GCTF Border Security and Management (BSM) Initiative Leads Jordan, the United States and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), convened the second BSM Initiative workshop in Rome, Italy, to continue to develop the Addendum to the 2016 GCTF Good Practices in the Area of Border Security and Management. The Initiative aims to promote an inclusive and collaborative approach towards border security, grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Want to be part of the GCTF family? The IIJ is hiring consultants to support research needs for the GCTF CJ-RoL Working Group’s activities!

5 April 2024

Vacancies available at the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), a GCTF-Inspired Institution to support the GCTF CJ-RoL Working Group activities

On International Women’s Day: Spotlighting gender-sensitive approaches to counterterrorism and P/CVE.

08 March 2024

Women and girls are fundamental in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. To celebrate International Women’s Day, the GCTF highlights the role of women in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism as well as the extensive work done by the GCTF to promote gender-sensitive approaches in counterterrorism efforts in good practices and toolkits.

23rd Coordinating Committee Meeting: Focus on Africa and Holistic Approaches to Counterterrorism

01 March 2024

From 26 -29 February the GCTF 23rd Coordinating Committee Meeting, co-chaired by Egypt and the European Union, and side events on its margins were held in Nairobi, Kenya. Key highlights from the week include , the renewal of Egypt and the EU’s Co-Chairs’ mandate for two more years, new GCTF Members Kenya and Kuwait reviving the East Africa Working Group, in-depth conversations about the terror threat in Africa and a holistic approach to the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of former terrorists, and the launch of a new GCTF Initiative on the nexus between climate change and violent extremism.

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Activities

Criminal Justice and Rule of Law (CJ-ROL) Working Group - Experts Meeting on Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context

16-17 February 2016

The conference built on the CJ-ROL Working Group plenary meeting, on 13-14 April 2015 in Valletta, Malta, where Switzerland proposed to add Juvenile Justice to the Working Group’s work plan, and on the first Juvenile Justice experts meeting held in Malta, on 10-12 November 2015, that led to a draft “Neuchâtel Memorandum on Good Practices for Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context.”

The objective of the meeting was to bring together a small group of experts and GCTF Working Group Co-Chairs representatives (with a background in prosecution, adjudication, detention, and reintegration) in order to review and edit the draft Neuchâtel Memo. The meeting also provided the opportunity to discuss cross-cutting considerations of how juvenile justice is relevant for addressing the lifecycle of radicalization to violence and the FTF phenomenon.

Key themes of discussion included:

The need of grounding the Draft Memorandum on the already existing international legal framework.
A whole of government and community-based approach is pivotal to prevent radicalization/stigmatization of children and to effectively implement reintegration programs.
The challenge of better monitoring and evaluation phases for diversion, rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
The interconnection of the Memorandum on Good Practices for Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context with other GCTF activities and documents.

Tags: Full Life Cycle of Radicalization Neuchâtel Memo Foreign Terrorist Fighter FTF Valletta Juvenile Justice Turin phenomenon Neuchâtel Memorandum on Good Practices for Juvenil

Seventh GCTF Ministerial Plenary Meeting

NEW YORK - United States - 2016 marks the fifth anniversary of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). On 21 September 2016, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, Mr Nasser Bourita, and Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Mr Bert Koenders, co-chaired the Seventh Ministerial Plenary Meeting of the GCTF in New York. The Ministerial Plenary Meeting showcased the action-oriented and strategic nature of the GCTF and provided an opportunity to take stock of the progress achieved since the launch of the Forum, five years ago.

Countering Violent Extremism Working Group - The Role of Family is Critical in Preventing Violent Extremism

ABU DHABI - United Arab Emirates – On 23-25 May 2016, under the auspices of the GCTF’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Working Group, Hedayah, the International Center of Excellence for CVE, hosted a workshop on the P/CVE roles of families.

The Foreign Terrorist Fighters Working Group - Plenary Meeting: Improving International Collaboration to Address the Foreign Terrorist Fighter Phenomenon

MARRAKESH - Morocco - The Global Counterterrorism Forum Foreign Terrorist Fighters Working Group Plenary Meeting convened in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 17-18 May 2016.

Criminal Justice and Rule of Law Working Group - Plenary Meeting

NEUCHÂTEL - Switzerland - The Criminal Justice and Rule of Law Working Group (CJ-ROL) will focus on further implementation of good practices highlighted in the Rabat Memorandum. That is one of the strategic outcomes of the Plenary Meeting of this Working Group, held on 3-4 May 2016.

Criminal Justice and Rule of Law Working Group - Workshop on Identifying and Countering Terrorist Recruiters and Facilitators

WASHINGTON D.C. - United States - The Criminal Justice and Rule of Law (CJ-ROL) Working Group convened an expert meeting in Washington on 25-26 April to discuss ways to identify and counter terrorist recruiters and facilitators.

Ninth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting

THE HAGUE - the Netherlands - The GCTF Coordinating Committee convened for its ninth meeting on 12-13 April 2016. Member States and representatives of the GCTF partner organizations reviewed the Forum’s strategic priorities, considered the ongoing and planned initiatives, and reviewed activities since the previous Coordinating Committee Meeting in New York, held on 25 September 2015.

Twitter

A Twitter List by theGCTF

Progress made on the 2016 GCTF Good Practices...

Want to be part of the GCTF family? The IIJ is...

On International Women’s Day: Spotlighting...

The Convening Power of the West Africa Working...

Press Release: 23rd Global Counterterrorism Forum...