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 Role of Civil Society in the Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration of Former Terrorists

The Role of Civil Society in the Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration of Former Terrorists

27 February 2024

On the margins of the GCTF’s 23rd Coordinating Committee Meeting, the EU and Kenya hosted consultations with Kenyan civil society representatives to explore opportunities for engaging civil society in the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of former terrorists.

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Empowering Practitioners and Policymakers to Strengthen Oversight and Accountability of Human Rights in Counterterrorism

Empowering Practitioners and Policymakers to Strengthen Oversight and Accountability of Human Rights in Counterterrorism

26 and 27 February 2024

The EU-led Oversight and Accountability Initiative hosted a transregional meeting convening experts from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia to inform an anticipated set of GCTF non-binding, practical recommendations on compliance with human rights in a counterterrorism context.

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The Convening Power of the West Africa Working Group.

The Convening Power of the West Africa Working Group.

26 February 2024

The West Africa Working Group held a side event on the margins of the GCTF’s 23rd Coordinating Committee Meeting to take stock of its achievements over the last 5 years. Regional partners explored how the Working Group’s regional meetings, supported by tailored national capacity-building activities, have benefited practitioners locally in their fight against terrorism, and how needs-focused regional events could further contribute to strengthening regional inter-agency and cross-border cooperation.

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The first workshop kicks off the development of the Addendum to the 2016 GCTF Good Practices in the Area of Border Security and Management (BSM)

The first workshop kicks off the development of the Addendum to the 2016 GCTF Good Practices in the Area of Border Security and Management (BSM)

22 February 2024

On 22 February 2024, the GCTF Co-Leads the United States and Jordan, together with UNOCT, held their first workshop of the new BSM Initiative to create an 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 international human rights law.

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Activities

Ninth GCTF Ministerial Plenary Meeting

Ninth GCTF Ministerial Plenary Meeting

27 September 2018

In the Joint UN-GCTF Ministerial Statement adopted during this meeting, the Ministers of the GCTF Members together with the United Nations reaffirmed their commitment to the joint international fight against terrorism and violent extremism. In addition, the Ministerial Meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the Forum’s efforts and achievements, discuss its priorities and highlight future Initiatives and activities to be launched under its auspices. As GCTF Co-Chairs, Morocco and the Netherlands are determined to continue promoting the GCTF’s role in a strategic, long-term civilian approach to countering terrorism and violent extremism.

This year’s Ministerial Meeting focused in particular on deepening the close and ongoing cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the GCTF. The Forum remains strongly committed to support and catalyze the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the broader UN CT framework.

Members endorsed four new GCTF Framework Documents addressing: Homegrown Terrorism, the Challenge of Returning Families of FTFs, the Collection, Use and Sharing of Evidence for Purposes of Criminal Prosecution of Terrorist Suspects, and the Nexus between Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism.

Documents to download

More links

 GCTF Insights

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