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. 

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What is the GCTF?

News

A two-day interactive workshop, led by Jordan and the United States, and the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea, targets maritime counterterrorism approaches in West Africa

A two-day interactive workshop, led by Jordan and the United States, and the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea, targets maritime counterterrorism approaches in West Africa

11 - 13 December 2023

The GCTF FTF Working Group Co-Chairs, Jordan and the United States, in partnership with the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea 2023 Co-Chairs, Côte D'Ivoire and Germany, held a two-day, interactive “Operationalizing the Prevention and Interdiction of Maritime Terrorist Travel in West Africa” workshop, that involving panel discussions and table-top exercises with a wide range of stakeholders, and concluded with a visit to the Port of Dakar, Senegal.

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Preventing terrorist groups from acquiring Small Arms and Light Weapons, Ammunitions and Unmanned Aircraft Systems in West Africa.

Preventing terrorist groups from acquiring Small Arms and Light Weapons, Ammunitions and Unmanned Aircraft Systems in West Africa.

5 - 7 December 2023

From 5-7 December, the West Africa Working Group (WAWG) held their second Disrupt the Networks event with a focus on preventing terrorist groups from acquiring Small Arms and Light Weapons, Ammunitions and Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the context of terrorist violence in West Africa. The meeting took place in Banjul, The Gambia. The regional event followed a previous 'Disrupt the Networks' event, which took place in Lomé, Togo, in June 2023, that focused on countering terrorist Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) networks.

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Closing out the third interactive two-day workshop to operationalize the twenty-six recommendations of the Berlin Memorandum focusing on emerging technologies

Closing out the third interactive two-day workshop to operationalize the twenty-six recommendations of the Berlin Memorandum focusing on emerging technologies

5 - 6 December 2023

The United Kingdom and the United States are hosting a series of operationalization webinars as part the GCTF Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems and New, Emerging, and Disruptive Technologies Initiative. The third virtual workshop looking into the benefits and challenges of emerging technologies on Unmanned Aerial Systems was held recently, where simulations helped bring to life the twenty-six recommendations of the Berlin Memorandum.

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Placing education at the heart of preventing and countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism efforts

Placing education at the heart of preventing and countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism efforts

23 November 2023

Education as a universal value transcends cultures and contexts and can therefore be a vehicle in preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) conducive to terrorism efforts and interventions. The GCTF Education and P/CVE Initiative, led by the European Union and Morocco, supported by the GCTF CVE working group, with Hedayah as implementing partner, Launched the GCTF Education and P/CVE Initiative which seeks to build on, improve and make more current the good practices and recommendations as shared in the Abu Dhabi Memorandum.

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Activities

Workshop on Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (RFTFs)

Workshop on Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (RFTFs)

26 May 2016

In order to increase the awareness of legal implications and considerations regarding the rehabilitation and reintegration of returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters (RFTFs) and Violent Extremist Offenders (VEOs), the GCTF’s Detention and Reintegration (DR) Working Group and the Criminal Justice and Rule of Law (CJ-ROL) Working Group convened a joint meeting, together with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in Turin. The meeting aimed to develop an addendum to the Rome Memorandum on Good Practices for Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Violent Extremist Offenders.

During this expert-level meeting, criminal justice practitioners as well as rehabilitation and reintegration experts reviewed and discussed specific legal framework issues regarding rehabilitation and reintegration efforts in custodial and non-custodial settings.Based on the outcomes of the meeting, a draft addendum to the Rome Memorandum will be prepared and adopted at the Tenth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting and the Seventh Ministerial Plenary Meeting in New York in September 2016.

Documents to download

More links

Criminal Justice and Rule of Law Working Group - Plenary Meeting

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

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. 

Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context

Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context

NAXXAR - Malta - Under the auspices of the GCTF’s Criminal Justice and Rule of Law 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 expert meeting on Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context on 10-12 November 2015, in Naxxar, Malta. 

Second Detention and Reintegration Working Group - Plenary Meeting

Second Detention and Reintegration Working Group - Plenary Meeting

SYDNEY - Australia - On 2-3 November 2015, Australia hosted the GCTF’s Detention and Reintegration Working Group second plenary meeting in Sydney.

Detention and Reintegration Working Group - Workshop on Education, Life Skill Courses and Vocational Training for Incarcerated Violent Extremist Offenders

Detention and Reintegration Working Group - Workshop on Education, Life Skill Courses and Vocational Training for Incarcerated Violent Extremist Offenders

NAIROBI - Kenya - On 7-8 October 2015, the government of Kenya hosted the GCTF’s Detention and Reintegration (DR) Working Group’s “Workshop on Education, Life Skill Courses and Vocational Training for Incarcerated Violent Extremist Offenders.” The workshop was co-chaired by the governments of Australia and Indonesia, and was co-organized by the Global Center on Cooperative Security (Global Center).

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