A Revitalized and Re-energized Forum - 21st GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting Co-Chairs' Statement

04 May 2023

The 21^st GCTF Coordinating Committee meeting was held on 4 May 2023 in Cairo, where Egypt came in as co-chair alongside the European Union (EU). With the completion of Morocco’s tenure, Egypt and the EU expressed their gratitude to Morocco for its invaluable work within the Forum. The GCTF Members supported the co-chairs’ ambition to re-energize the Forum, with dynamic discussions among the member delegations and by engaging front-line practitioners.

The meeting highlighted the co-chairs’ Strategic Priorities for a more inclusive, action-oriented GCTF that is responsive to changing needs on the ground: an enhanced geographical focus on Africa; outreach to a broad range of actors, including civil society; and promoting women’s participation across the criminal justice chain and gender-sensitive policies. The co-chairs highlighted the importance of reinforced cooperation with the three Institutions closely associated to the GCTF – the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), the International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law (IIJ), and Hedayah – as well as continued cooperation with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact.

To ensure the GCTF remains fit-for-purpose, discussions took place on strategic matters, including its membership and financial sustainability. The co-chairs will invite new members that can bring tangible contributions to the Forum, prioritizing Africa. The admission of new members will be subject to approval by the current membership. The co-chairs also encouraged Members to provide more voluntary financial contributions to the Forum.

The co-chairs thank the GCTF Members for their support in implementing their strategic priorities.