GCTF Co-Chairs

The GCTF Co-Chairs provide overall strategic direction and management of the Forum’s activities. They serve a term of two (2) years, which is renewable. The same applies to Working Group Co-Chairs. GCTF Co-Chair terms officially begin at the end of the last Coordinating Committee meeting held prior to the end of the last month of a Co-Chair’s two-year term. Any two GCTF Members from different regions may together, in a paired bid, nominate themselves as candidates. A GCTF Member may co-chair the Coordinating Committee and/or no more than one Working Group at the same time. Nominations occur no later than five months prior to the end of the earliest expiring current Co-Chair’s term. GCTF Members will vote on the next Co-Chairs of the Coordinating Committee during the first Coordinating Committee meeting that takes place after the end of the nomination period and before the end of the earliest expiring Co-Chair’s term. The pair of nominees that receives the most votes/is acclaimed will serve as the next Co-Chairs.

The current Co-Chairs are Egypt and the European Union.

Former GCTF Co-Chairs

Canada and Morocco (2019 - 2022):

At the March 2019 Fifteenth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting, GCTF Members accepted the nomination of Canada and Morocco to take over the mandate of Co-Chairs of the Forum. Morocco assumed the seat held by Turkey at the Ninth Coordinating Committee Meeting in April 2016 and Canada took over from the Netherlands at the Tenth Ministerial Plenary Meeting in September 2019. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Coordinating Committee decided to extend current mandates by one year and defer the selection of GCTF Co-Chairs and Working Group Co-Chairs to 2022.

Canada and Morocco presented their Strategic Plan of Action to the GCTF Membership and main partners of the Forum in May 2020. As GCTF Co-Chairs, Canada and Morocco seek to reinforce the Forum’s founding mission of developing practical and effective ways to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism. To achieve this, they pledge to ensure a constructive balance between continuity and renewal that focuses on the following priorities:

  • Working together - increase the collective engagement of the GCTF Membership, to promote the involvement of non-GCTF member countries in the Forum's activities and to safeguarding the GCTF’s strong and mutually reinforcing partnership with the United Nations;
  • Building on success - continue to encourage the implementation of the growing body of GCTF framework documents, relying upon the GCTF’s international, regional and sub-regional partners, including the United Nations and the three Inspired Institutions;
  • Assessing our impact - committed to undertake a study to measure the impact of the Forum’s framework documents on the CT and CVE policies and practices of states, with close collaboration among the Co-Chairs, GCTF Members and partners, and the GCTF Administrative Unit;
  • Focusing on Africa - in an effort to keep the GCTF connected with realities on the ground, the Co-Chairs intend to further emphasize Africa as a cross-cutting theme in GCTF efforts and focus on engaging African leadership and participation;
  • GCTF 2021-2023: the next decade - aim to leverage the GCTF’s current achievements and know-how to ensure the future success of long-term civilian approaches to countering the terrorist threat by exchanging experiences, developing Good Practices, and building capacities;
  • Ensuring sustainability - commit to work to mobilize resources required for the GCTF to remain agile and well-positioned to address new and emerging global counterterrorism challenges.

Morocco and the Netherlands (2015 - 2019):

The Kingdoms of Morocco and the Netherlands published a Legacy Paper on their term as GCTF Co-Chairs. The Legacy Paper highlights their strategic priorities and main achievements. The Legacy Paper is available in Arabic, English and French.