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

Effective Judicial Responses to Terrorist Offenses

Through online sessions, the IIJ worked with East and West African criminal justice practitioners to encourage them to investigate and prosecute terrorism offences using the full range of legal tools at their disposal, including laws focused on sexual and gender-based violence crimes and other core international crimes. Read more »

Counterterrorism Perspectives in West Africa

21-23 June 2022

The GCTF Capacity-Building in the West Africa Region Working Group convened its second Plenary Meeting under the current co-chair mandate in Accra, Ghana. Discussions focused on regional and cross border priorities related to preventing and countering terrorism and explored ways to further enhance capacity building and cooperation in the region. Read more »

Returning Families in MENA & the Mediterranean

22 June 2022

The return of family members of foreign terrorist fighters is an ongoing and increasingly salient issue. The GCTF FTF Working Group convened a regional workshop to look at integrating policy and practice related to returning families in the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Reintegration & Resocialization: a Mother’s Story

In Kosovo, GCERF, a GCTF Inspired Institution, supports returnees from conflicts abroad—and their families—to reintegrate into their communities. One mother of five shares her experience.

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Activities

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

3-4 December 2015

The workshop built on the 2013 Rabat Conference on border control cooperation in the Sahel and Maghreb and the Inaugural Conference of the BSI, held on 21-22 July 2105 in El Jadida, Morocco, as well as good practices compiled at events in Cairns, Australia in August and Vienna, Austria in September.

The objective of the workshop was to bring border officials from countries in the region and international border security and management experts together to further discuss identified challenges and potential good practices in the area of cross-border cooperation.

Key themes of discussion included:

The level of stability and security in a country or a border area is critically important for the overall success of border security and management policies.
High-ranking officials in national agencies dealing with border security and management may not necessarily be as effective as presumed in inter-agency cooperation.
Inter-agency coordination process in border security should be inclusive.
Mandates and working methods of border security and management agencies need to be revised and up-dated in order to address new risks connected to terrorism.
Border demarcation issues affect overall border security and management.
Countries need to develop robust social and economic policies that integrate remote border communities into society, aiming to increase inclusiveness.
Engagement with border communities is a key contributor to border security and management.
The gap between de facto and officially registered refugees is a common challenge in the countries of the HOA region.
The countries in the HOA region should be able to benefit from the international databases to enhance their border management.
Improved capacities are crucial for a robust border security and management.

Tags: United Nations UN Counter-Terrorism Centre UNCCT Kenya Nairobi Horn of Africa HOA cross-border cooperation transnational challenges First Regional Workshop Border Security Initiative BSI

Horn of Africa Capacity Building Working Group - Plenary Meeting

DJIBOUTI CITY - Djibouti - The GCTF’s Horn of Africa (HOA) Capacity Building Working Group’s Fifth Plenary Meeting convened in Djibouti City, Djibouti, on 2 June 2016.

Sahel Region Moving Forward on Border Security

DAKAR - Senegal - Under the auspices of the joint United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) – Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) Border Security Initiative (BSI), the Government of Senegal hosted the UNCCT-GCTF BSI Regional Workshop on the Sahel, on 11-12 May 2016, in Dakar.

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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