On 22 May 2026, Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and Mr. Darrin Jones, Executive Director for Partnerships and Planning of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), signed the CTED–INTERPOL Joint Action Plan for 2026–2027, reaffirming the longstanding strategic partnership between the two entities and their shared commitment to assisting Member States in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism.
Building on the 2017 cooperation agreement between CTED and INTERPOL, the updated Joint Action Plan sets out a strengthened framework for closer alignment. It provides a clear structure to better connect CTED’s assessment work, conducted on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, with INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities. In that regard, the framework recognizes INTERPOL’s strategic role in bridging the gap between Security Council requirements and frontline law-enforcement practice.
The Joint Action Plan is expected to foster stronger and more coherent support to Member States and enhance law enforcement effectiveness with particular attention to terrorist travel, financing, illicit weapons and improvised explosive devices, unmanned aircraft systems and the protection of critical infrastructure and soft targets. At the same time, it will ensure that gaps identified at the national level can be addressed through more tailored and practical assistance, as well as sustained follow-up. It will also enhance preparedness for future threats by strengthening joint capacity to identify and analyze emerging challenges, including those linked to new and emerging technologies.
During the consultations, both principals reaffirmed their shared determination to further deepen cooperation between CTED and INTERPOL and to maintain regular strategic and technical engagement in support of Member States’ counter-terrorism efforts.