22 February 2024
The evolving nature of terrorist travel and illicit activities due to porous, uncontrolled borders, poses multi-faceted challenges for States. Building upon existing initiatives, Jordan and United States, as GCTF FTF Working Group Co-Chairs, together with UNOCT as the Border and Security Management (BSM) Initiative Leads, are arranging workshops to update the 2016 GCTF Good Practices in the Area of Border Security and Management in the Context of Counterterrorism and Stemming the Flow of Foreign Terrorist Fighters with an Addendum planned to be presented at the 24th GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting in September 2024.
Prior to the workshops, the leads conducted a series of exploratory dialogues to gather input for the Addendum text from subject matter experts, practitioners, and academics. The initiative aims to complete the Addendum and also update a comprehensive Training-of-Trainers (ToT) Manual to help governments and UN entities in their work to develop and modernize their border security training efforts .
The 2016 GCTF Good Practices document offers guidance to governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector as they develop policies, guidelines, programs, and approaches to enhance BSM practices.
The Border Security and Management (BSM) Initiative seeks to review the current good practices, update and strengthen the 2016 Good Practices document, and develop a comprehensive Training-of-Trainers Manual. It also acknowledges the evolving FTF travel threat landscape and the importance of human rights and rule-of-law-based, whole-of-society counterterrorism approaches. The Initiative will further stress the importance of civilian and partner-led frameworks rooted in diplomacy, multilateral partnerships, and enhanced capacity.
Through its Border Security and Management Program launched in 2019, UNOCT strengthens Member States’ capacities to prevent the cross-border movement of terrorists and stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs).