Terrorist networks that operate across borders require a common response by the international community. That is why

• the United Nations,
• the G7 countries,
• the European Union,
• NATO and
• many other multilateral organisations

have adopted measures to deal with this threat.

The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

In 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted a Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy which provided for a joint strategic framework for the UN member states’ activities to fight terrorism. Germany ratified and implemented the resolutions resulting from the strategy, including for example freezing assets of terrorist organisations.

The Federal Government also works closely with the relevant UN agencies, such as the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), which was established by the UN Security Council.

International forums and committees

Experts regularly come together under the auspices of the G7 to intensify their joint counter-terrorism efforts. In various working groups, they coordinate national measures and draw up best practices. Germany is an active participant.

The Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) was founded in 2011 at the initiative of the U.S. and is intended to enable its 32 members to share best practices. Measures to fight terrorism are developed in other multinational forums as well, such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the coalition to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Cooperation within the European Union

The common threat of international terrorism often requires joint, coordinated action, particularly within the Schengen area, where there are no checks at the borders between member countries. In response to the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on 11 September 2001 and in Madrid on 11 March 2004, the EU member states developed joint action plans and a long-term European plan of action on combating terrorism. The action plan calls for

• preventing and combating the causes of terrorism,
• protecting the public and reducing vulnerability,
• pursuing and detecting terrorist activity in advance, and
• improving the response following a terrorist attack.

The strategy and action plans are regularly updated and added to. Germany plays an active role in this development and in supporting these measures.

Another key issue in the EU is improving law enforcement and judicial cooperation in prosecuting terrorist crime. For a number of years now, it has been possible to prosecute and imprison terrorists according to the same criteria throughout the EU. Further, Directive (EU) 2017/541 on combating terrorism, which entered into force in April 2017, requires the EU member states to make travel – even within the EU – for terrorist purposes a crime.

Preventing extremism

Preventing radicalisation and the recruitment of terrorists is another priority of EU policy. The member states regularly discuss best practices, and the European Commission promotes EU-wide exchange between local stakeholders involved in antisemitism prevention and deradicalisation through its "Radicalisation Awareness Network" (RAN). There are also other networks and initiatives in the field of extremism prevention and deradicalisation at EU level.

Bilateral cooperation

In addition to cooperation in international organisations, multilateral forums and the EU, trust-based bilateral cooperation with other countries is of course equally important for Germany.

Bilateral cooperation has been steadily expanded since 11 September 2001 and in many cases includes regularly occurring consultations. Cooperation with individual European countries and with the U:S. is especially important.