Media Note
The Fifteenth Coordinating Committee Meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), co-chaired by Morocco and the Netherlands, took place today in Malaga, Spain. Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Nathan A. Sales represented the United States and briefed GCTF members on the activities of the Foreign Terrorist Fighter (FTF) Working Group, urged countries to repatriate and prosecute their FTFs, and called on GCTF members to more equitably share the financial burden of operating the organization.
The FTF Working Group, which the United States co-chairs with Jordan, seeks to identify solutions to the problems posed by the travel of foreign terrorist fighters and their accompanying family members, and to address risk assessment and prosecutions. The related Terrorist Travel Initiative, on which Ambassador Sales also briefed, addresses watchlisting, border security, information-sharing, and other tools that help disrupt terrorist travel.
GCTF members also reached decisions on issues related to the Forum’s organization. Beginning in September 2019, Canada and Morocco will serve as Co-Chairs of the GCTF. The United States will continue co-chairing the FTF Working Group with Jordan through 2021.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Threat Prevention Elizabeth Neumann will represent the United States at the March 14 portion of the meeting, which invites national counterterrorism coordinators to discuss domestic counterterrorism policies and challenges related to returning foreign fighters and terrorism prevention.
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