Ashraf AboArafe
Today, the European Union assumed the co-Chair of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) for the next two years. HR/VP Josep Borrell officially took over the co-Chair from Canada at the GCTF Ministerial Meeting in New York, in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
The EU will work closely with Morocco as its co-Chair until March 2023 and, subsequently, with Egypt. The EU will help steer, alongside its partners, the GCTF in making an impact on the international counterterrorism (CT) and prevention arena, building on its experience in the domain, including as Co-Chair of the GCTF East-Africa Working Group over the past years, and its strong engagement and belief in multilateralism. By taking on a leading role in the GCTF, the EU will seek to promote human rights, respect for the rule of law and gender equity, which will be central to the EU’s co-lead of the forum. Our engagement with civil-society organisations will also be assured. The EU will build on the depth of experience and knowledge of the three GCTF-“inspired” institutions – the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), and the Hedayah Center – as well as other partners, in seeking to strengthen the GCTF’s impact around the globe.
To underline the EU’s partnership with the three GCTF-inspired institutions, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell announced additional support of €5 million to Hedayah and €3 million to the IIJ, specifically focused on human rights. These funds will support concrete action in the field of countering and preventing terrorism in partner countries.
Ahead of the GCTF Ministerial meeting, the High Representative/Vice-President Borrell announced yesterday an additional €18 million contribution to the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) during a pledging conference, thus making the European Union its main contributor with a total of €30.5 million. These funds, together with those of strong partners such as the US, will support concrete actions to make at-risk communities across the world more resilient to extremist influences.
Background
The Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) was established in 2011 to serve as an informal, multilateral platform. It enables policymakers and practitioners to share experience and expertise, develop tools and strategies for preventing violent extremism and terrorist threats. The GCTF has 30 members from around the world and strives to be action-oriented and nimble in its approach.
The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) is one of three so-called GCTF-Inspired Institutions, next to the Hedayah Center in Abu Dhabi and the International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law (IIJ) in Malta. As a member of the board of governance in all of these institutions, the EU will continue to engage these organisations to contribute to further success of the GCTF.
