The Global Counterterrorism Forum is an informal, apolitical, multilateral counter-terrorism platform that was launched officially in New York on 22 September 2011.

[citation needed] The GCTF's goal is to strengthen capabilities in order to develop a strategic, long-term approach to counter terrorism and prevent the violent extremist ideologies that underpin it.

The outcome documents of the forum are non-binding and not intended to create legal obligations for national governments.

[2]: 2 On 1 January 2016, the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism began hosting the "Administrative Unit" of the GCTF.

[4] This resulted in the addition of Kenya and Kuwait, the first ever since the forum's founding.