The Global Center works to achieve lasting security by advancing inclusive, human rights–based policies, partnerships, and practices to address the root causes of violent extremism. We focus on four mutually reinforcing objectives:
• Supporting communities in addressing the drivers of conflict and violent extremism.
• Advancing human rights and the rule of law to prevent and respond to violent extremism.
• Combating illicit finance that enables criminal and violent extremist organizations.
• Promoting multilateral cooperation and rights-based standards in counterterrorism.
Our global team and network of experts, trainers, fellows, and policy professionals work to conduct research and deliver programming in these areas across sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and South, Central, and Southeast Asia.
Criminal Justice and Rule of Law
Financial Integrity and Inclusion
Multilateral Security Policy
Why We Matter Now
2021 was a landmark year for counterterrorism. Violent extremist attacks and recruitment were on the rise, the pandemic was exacerbating the root causes of violence and conflict, and repressive governments were exploiting the public health crisis. Securitization and surveillance tactics were being used disproportionately against racial, religious, and ethnic minority groups, aided by emerging technologies that can be co-opted for malign intent. These practices are not new—in fact, many mirror the restrictive measures in place since the dawn of the so-called “war on terror,” which has resulted in untold causalities and rampant violations of civil liberties.
Two decades into the failed war on terror, we are overdue to move beyond a militarized approach, confront the systemic injustices within our security and criminal justice sectors, and tackle these interconnected threats with inclusive responses. These realities require truly unprecedented cooperation.
Article: Reckoning with the Consequences of Two Decades of Counterterrorism
The 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks compels the international community to take stock of the past two decades of counterterrorism policy and ask: Have these efforts made us safer, and at what cost? This opinion piece in The Hill penned by executive director Eelco Kessels reflects on the twenty years since September 11th to underscore the urgency of restoring human rights and centering civil society in global security efforts.
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Financing and Facilitation of Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Returnees in Southeast Asia
This typology report, produced in partnership between the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering and the Global Center, examines what is known and unknown regarding the financial profiles of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) connected to Southeast Asia and explores the collection and utilization of FTF-related financial intelligence in the region.
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