Egypt to co-chair Global Counterterrorism Forum for 2 years

CAIRO – 8 April 2022: The Coordination Committee of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) endorsed Thursday the joint nomination of Egypt and the European Union (EU) to chair the organization succeeding Canada and Morocco.

For Egypt, the chairmanship will begin March 2023 and end in March 2025, while the EU will assume office in September 2022 and hands over its duties in September 2024.

In a press statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the new position Egypt won is a confirmation of the members' appreciation for the leading role played by the country in the realm of countering terrorism on the regional and international levels, and its constant efforts on that front.   

The ministry indicated that Egypt intends to capitalize on its experience with combating terrorism to push forward the implementation of the forum's 2021-2031 strategic vision document. That is in addition to reinforcing the effectiveness of the international counterterrorism system, and supporting the endeavors of members states to carry out the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Strategy.

Egypt also aims for bolstering care to Africa and needs of developing countries, as well as enhancing existing coordination between the GCTF and the regional mechanisms concerned with combating terrorism. Simultaneously, the country will continue proposing initiatives that would have a tangible impact through the forum's task forces.

The GCTF was founded in 2011 as a multilateral mechanism that offers a platform for counterterrorism officials to exchange experience and knowledge of relevant best practices. That is in coordination with counterterrorism UN agencies, regional, and international organizations.

Egypt is one of the founding states of the 30-member forum, and has been co-chairing since 2017, along with the EU, the task force whose mission is the anti-terrorism capacity-building of East African states. Prior to that post, Egypt and the United States co-chaired the Criminal Justice and Rule of Law task force in 2011-2017.