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

Sixth GCTF Ministerial Plenary Meeting

27 September 2015

The meeting featured the establishment of a new “Initiative to Address the Life Cycle of Radicalization to Violence” and the launch of the International Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Capacity-Building Clearinghouse Mechanism (ICCM).

Members adopted two new GCTF framework documents: (1) the Good Practices on Women and Countering Violent Extremism; and (2) the Addendum to the Algiers Memorandum on Good Practices on Preventing and Denying the Benefits of Kidnapping for Ransom by Terrorists.

Members also announced a number of bilateral and multilateral initiatives. Switzerland announced an initiative focusing on the improvement of the juvenile justice system in a counterterrorism context, which will be launched under the auspices of the GCTF Criminal Justice and Rule of Law (CJ-ROL) Working Group, in collaboration with the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI).

Members reiterated their strong support for the work of the GCTF and took note of its achievements to date, including the adoption and implementation of previous framework documents articulating good practices for civilian counterterrorism practitioners and policy makers. Members also voiced strong support for the three GCTF-inspired institutions: (1) Hedayah in Abu Dhabi; (2) the IIJ in Valletta; and (3) GCERF in Geneva.

Statements by GCTF members and the United Nations touched on a number of common themes, including: (1) acknowledgement of a radically-changing counterterrorism landscape; (2) support for the new initiative on addressing the life cycle of radicalization to violence; (3) support for establishment of the ICCM; (4) the actionable implementation of the GCTF good practices and guidelines; and (5) the importance of maintaining synergy and complementarity between the activities of the GCTF and the UN system.

Members also commended Turkey and the United States as the outgoing Co-Chairs and congratulated the Netherlands and Morocco, as the incoming Co-Chairs of the GCTF, beginning first with the Netherlands, followed by Morocco upon conclusion of the spring 2016 GCTF Coordinating Committee meeting.

Tags: Full Life Cycle of Radicalization Sixth Ministerial Plenary cross-cutting initiatives U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Turkey Feridun Sinirlioğlu New York Addendum to the Algiers Memorandum on the Effectiv

Documents to download

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.

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

TURIN - Italy – Under the auspices of the GCTF’s Criminal Justice and Rule of Law (CJ-ROL) Working Group, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), the Government of Switzerland and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) hosted an experts meeting on Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context on 16-17 February 2016, in Turin, Italy.

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...