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

The second exploratory discussions delve deeper into the opportunities and challenges of new and emerging technologies in the area of border security and management

The second exploratory discussions delve deeper into the opportunities and challenges of new and emerging technologies in the area of border security and management

18 January 2024

To promote an inclusive and collaborative approach towards border security, grounded in international human rights law, the GCTF Foreign Terrorist Fighter Working Group (co-chaired by Jordan and the United States) is partnering with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) in the Border Security and Management (BSM) Initiative. As part of this Initiative, a series of exploratory dialogues are being conducted with subject matter experts. On 18 January 2023, the second exploratory dialogue was held to garner insights from a diverse group of stakeholders on the opportunities and threats posed by technological advancements in border security and management.

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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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Activities

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

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

17-18 May 2016

Participants reviewed the Working Group’s strategic priorities, discussed the proposed Addendum to The Hague-Marrakech Memorandum on Good Practices for a more effective response to the foreign terrorist fighter (FTF) phenomenon (The Hague-Marrakech Memorandum), considered ongoing and planned initiatives, and reviewed activities since the previous Working Group Plenary Meeting.

Key themes of the discussion included: trends and dynamics of FTFs; The Addendum to The Hague-Marrakech Memorandum; and the importance of a renewed focus on strategic communications.

The Addendum to The Hague-Marrakech Memorandum is part of the cross-cutting Initiative to Address the Life Cycle of Radicalization to Violence (Life Cycle Initiative), which will be presented 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

Seventh GCTF Ministerial Plenary Meeting

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

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. 

Ninth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting

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

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.

 GCTF Insights

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