On Sept. 22, 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed the first Global Counterterrorism Forum in New York.  Clinton described the Forum as “a dedicated global venue to regularly convene key counterterrorism policy makers and practitioners from around the world – a place to identify essential priorities, devise solutions and chart a path to implementation.” The Forum will feature several working groups, including ones on rule of law, countering violent extremism, and capacity building, and experts from civil society will be invited to participate in the working groups’ activities. “We will work to strengthen the capacity of other governments, multilateral bodies, and civil society groups all over the world, especially those most affected by terrorism,” Clinton said.

According to the State Department Fact Sheet about the Forum, “the U.S. alone cannot eliminate every terrorist or terrorist organization,” and the Forum “will serve as a mechanism for furthering the implementation of the universally-agreed UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.”
Goals of the Forum include:
  • adoption of the Cairo Declaration on Counterterrorism and the Rule of Law
  • the creation of a multilateral training and research center focused on countering violent extremism

Please forward any questions concerning the GCTF to [email protected]