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

UN Counter-Terrorism Centre – GCTF Border Security Initiative - Second Regional Workshop on the Horn of Africa

UN Counter-Terrorism Centre – GCTF Border Security Initiative - Second Regional Workshop on the Horn of Africa

29-30 May 2016

The workshop provided an opportunity to discuss twelve draft good practices compiled as a result of previous meetings. 

Key themes of discussion included: 

  • While interagency cooperation is key for a successful border security and management (BSM) policy, governments should adopt tailored approaches on parameters to implement this cooperation. 
  • Lack of resources, threats to border communities emanating from FTFs, communities’ protection from terrorist groups and detachment of border communities in remote border areas from the wider community have been identified as key challenges in engagement with border communities and in the field of community border policing.
  • Governments might consider authorizing the local border agencies and liaison officers to interact with their counterparts on the other side of the border as a way of effective information exchange. 
  • Within the context of border surveillance, maritime borders need more attention.
  • Governments need to adopt a balanced approach while employing technology in the field of BSM.
  • Corruption and bribery have been identified as common risks which undermine overall efforts to devise and implement robust BSM policies.

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