The European Union pledges to work closely with Morocco and Egypt in the fight against terrorism

After taking over the co-chairmanship of the Global Forum during a ministerial meeting in New York

Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The European Union took over the co-chairs of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) for the next two years. The High Coordinator for European Foreign Policy Josep Borrell officially assumed the position of Co-Chair from Canada, and this came during the ministerial meeting of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

A European statement issued by Borrell's office in Brussels said, "The European Union will work closely with Morocco as its co-chair until March 2023, and thereafter with Egypt.

The European Union, together with its partners, will assist the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum to make an impact on the international counter-terrorism (CT) and prevention arena, building on its experience in the field, including as co-chair of the East African Working Group of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. past years, and his strong engagement and belief in pluralism.

By assuming a leading role in the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, the EU will seek to promote human rights, respect for the rule of law and gender equality, which will be central to the EU's leadership of the Forum.

The European statement said, "Our engagement with civil society organizations will also be guaranteed. The European Union will build on the depth of experience and knowledge of the three institutions "inspired" by the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum - the Global Community Participation and Resilience Fund (GCERF), the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), Hedayah Center - as well as other partners, in the quest to enhance the impact of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum around the world.

To underscore the EU's partnership with the three institutions inspired by the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, Borrell announced additional support of €5 million for Hedaya and €3 million for the International Institute for Justice, with a particular focus on human rights.

These funds will support concrete work in the field of combating and preventing terrorism in partner countries.

Ahead of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum Ministerial Meeting, Borrell announced an additional €18 million contribution to the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) during the pledging conference, making the European Union its main contributor with a total of €30.5 million.

These funds, along with those of powerful partners such as the United States, will support concrete actions to make vulnerable communities around the world more resilient to extremist influences.

The Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) was established in 2011 to serve as an informal multilateral platform. It enables policy makers and practitioners to share experiences and expertise, and develop tools and strategies to prevent violent extremism and terrorist threats.

The Global Counter-Terrorism Forum has 30 members from all over the world and strives to be action-oriented and intelligent in its approach. The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) is one of three so-called institutions inspired by the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, along with the Hedayah Center in Abu Dhabi and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) in Malta. As a member of the Board of Directors of all these institutions, the European Union will continue to engage these organizations to contribute to the greater success of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum.