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

Lessons learned on artificial intelligence and countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism

Lessons learned on artificial intelligence and countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism

15 July 2025

The Countering Violent Extremism Working Group – co-chaired by Australia and Indonesia – in collaboration with the International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism & Violent Extremism (Hedayah) held a virtual event to discuss the challenges and opportunities of new and emerging technologies, including generative artificial intelligence, when countering extremism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism.

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Consolidating stakeholder input and insights to increase understanding of the links between climate change and insecurity

Consolidating stakeholder input and insights to increase understanding of the links between climate change and insecurity

3 June 2025

Led by Germany and Kenya, the Initiative on Addressing the Nexus Between Climate Change and Violent Extremism conducive to terrorism held a virtual workshop seeking stakeholder input and insights on the links between climate change and insecurity.

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Training practitioners on motivational disengagement for the East Africa Capacity-Building Working Group

Training practitioners on motivational disengagement for the East Africa Capacity-Building Working Group

30 May 2025

Under the mandate of Kenya and Kuwait, the East Africa Capacity-Building Working Group held a training workshop in motivational disengagement for security officers.

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Rehabilitating and reintegrating violent extremist terrorists in prison – best practices and early intervention approaches

Rehabilitating and reintegrating violent extremist terrorists in prison – best practices and early intervention approaches

23 May 2025

Led by co-chairs Australia and Indonesia, the Countering Violent Extremism Working Group held an in-person workshop to discuss good practice approaches for rehabilitating violent extremist terrorist prisoners and managing their reintegration into the community upon release.

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Activities

Eighth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting

Eighth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting

26 September 2015

Key outcomes and cross-cutting themes included the following:

  • GCTF Members welcomed and supported the ‘‘Initiative to Address the Life Cycle of Radicalization to Violence” as a timely and necessary contribution to the ongoing global work on countering violent extremism (CVE). The initiative is designed to capture the full life cycle of radicalization, from the front end, where governments and communities are attempting to prevent susceptible individuals from being attracted to the ideologies promoted by ISIL/Da’esh as well as other terrorist groups with different ideologies, to the back end, where governments and communities need to assess the risk posed by radicalized individuals and determine how best to prosecute and/or reintegrate them into society.

  • GCTF Members praised the coordination effort proposed through the International Counterterrorism and CVE Capacity-Building Clearinghouse Mechanism (ICCM), financially sponsored by the United States and co-chaired by the United States and Turkey.

  • Members pledged to implement the new framework documents to be adopted at the sixth Ministerial Plenary Meeting of the GCTF: The Good Practices on Women and CVE and the Addendum to the Algiers Memorandum on Good Practices on Preventing and Denying the Benefits of Kidnapping for Ransom (KFR) by Terrorists.

  • GCTF Members acknowledged the role the three GCTF-inspired institutions – Hedayah, the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) – play in helping members and partners operationalize the objectives of the Forum.

  • GCTF Members welcomed the smooth transition of the co-chairmanship of the GCTF from the United States to the Netherlands.

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.

Horn of Africa Capacity Building Working Group - Plenary Meeting

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.

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.

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. 

 GCTF Insights

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