One of the primary objectives of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) is to support and catalyze implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. That is why the Forum works closely with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, which provides a framework to enhance coordination and coherence in the work of the United Nations system on preventing and countering terrorism. This cooperation facilitates regular exchanges on shared priorities and best practices, and contributes to mobilizing expertise and resources to strengthen counterterrorism efforts all over the world.
As the GCTF marks it tenth anniversary and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy marks its fifteenth anniversary, this event underlined the importance of reinforcing multilateral collaboration to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism.
Held on the margins of the Second Counter-Terrorism Week at the United Nations, the virtual side event on Multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation: United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact – Global Counterterrorism Forum partnership gathered together over 130 representatives of Counter-Terrorism Compact entities, the GCTF community, including the GCTF Inspired Institutions, as well as think tanks, and international, regional, and civil society organizations.
The discussion focused on current joint efforts and explored future cooperation opportunities, emphasizing the need for and value added of multilateral counterterrorism coordination. This multifaceted partnership contributes to international, regional, and sub-regional CT and P/CVE efforts in a variety of ways, including through:
- GCTF Initiatives co-led with Counter-Terrorism Compact entities;
- capacity-building coordination efforts in West Africa;
- practical cooperation between the GCTF Administrative Unit and the Counter-Terrorism Compact Secretariat; and,
- collaboration between the GCTF Inspired Institutions and Counter-Terrorism Compact entities in support of the promotion and practical use of GCTF outputs.
By providing concrete examples of how to approach such collaboration, this public discussion about the growing partnership between the GCTF and the Counter-Terrorism Compact demonstrated to a broad audience why multilateral counterterrorism cooperation matters.
Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, underscored the importance of multilateralism and stressed that the side event was an opportunity to create further synergies in our joint efforts to address pressing counterterrorism priorities.
Learn more about the GCTF’s successful and wide-ranging cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Compact by reading or watching Under-Secretary-General Voronkov’s opening remarks and by reading speaker statements:
- Vladimir Voronkov, USG, UNOCT (video)
- Raffi Gregorian, Director and DUSG, UNOCT
- David Drake, GCTF Co-Chair Canada
- Ismail Chekkori, GCTF Co-Chair Morocco
- Andreas Künne, Germany
- Hillary Batjer Johnson, United States
- Khalid Koser, Executive Director, GCERF
- Rafi Shah, Chief of the PKMCB, UNOCT
- Miriam van Nie, Head, GCTF Administrative Unit