The Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), co-chaired by Morocco and Canada has adopted during the 17th Coordinating Committee Meeting, held on September 29, 2020, a Ministerial Declaration conveying a message of unity and commitment to the constant threat posed by terrorism in the current pandemic context.
This Ministerial Declaration underlines the importance of a continuous mobilization of the members of the Forum to face the global threat posed by terrorism and recognizes the efforts undertaken by Morocco and Canada as co-chairs of the GCTF, as well as by the co-chairs of working groups and co-leaders of Forum initiatives in order to maintain a positive and active work dynamic in the current pandemic context.
The organization of this meeting was also an opportunity for Forum members to renew their confidence in the co-presidency of Morocco and Canada by extending their mandate for an additional year compared to the period initially planned. As such, it should be noted that Morocco co-chairs the GCTF for a third consecutive term which should be extended until September 2022.
The Forum also adopted two Framework Documents dealing with the areas of preventing and combating violent extremism that can lead to terrorism as well as combating the link that may exist between terrorism and transnational organized crime.
The Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), is a platform launched in 2011, and co-chaired since 2016 by Morocco. It is made up of 30 members (29 countries + the European Union) and cooperates closely with many international, regional and sub-regional organizations, including the UN.
Its structure revolves around five working groups on the fight against violent extremism, foreign terrorist fighters, criminal justice and the rule of law, capacity building in West Africa and the strengthening of capacities in East Africa. Its activities regularly bring together decision-makers and experts in the fields of the fight against terrorism.