On 10 December 2025, the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law launched the GCTF Brussels Memorandum on Oversight and Counter-Terrorism. The event was hosted by the European Union in Brussels, with support from the Republic of Korea.
"Our response to terrorism must be both firm and just - protecting citizens while upholding the values that define us. The Brussels Memorandum offers an important guide for States as they navigate these responsibilities, helping to ensure that security and rights advance hand in hand" said Assistant Secretary General Natalia Gherman, CTED Executive Director.
The Brussels Memorandum is a set of non-binding good practices that aims to assist States to ensure that their counter-terrorism measures comply with their human rights obligations. A critical component is that counter-terrorism measures should be subject to effective oversight. It sets out detailed guidance for States with examples including the importance of a multilayered system of oversight, ensuring that oversight mechanisms have a broad oversight mandate and remit, independent budgets and staffing, access to documents, data, and staff of the agencies they are tasked with overseeing, and public reporting to increase transparency and trust.
In carrying out its mandate, CTED has identified persistent challenges that impede effective oversight including legislative gaps, a lack of resources, and secrecy laws that favour classification over disclosure. Technology used by law enforcement agencies also advances faster than the mandates and powers of those tasked with overseeing them.
Many of the practices in the Brussels Memorandum were identified through a series of regional workshops organised by the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, sponsored by the European Union, and conducted with the participation of CTED. The workshops provided an opportunity to inform the discussions with lessons learned by CTED and partners, which subsequently contributed to the adoption of the Memorandum by the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. It is available at this .