Albania participated in the 20 th meeting of the Governing Board of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), held in Geneva, Switzerland, which coincided with the 10th anniversary of its inception.

Since 2022, our country has been part of the GCERF board, which is supported by 19 governments including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the EU, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Qatar, etc., international organizations, foundations, corporations, and individuals, since February 2024 represented by the Minister of Interior, Mr. Taulant Balla.

The meeting brought together high-level policymakers, government officials, and civil society representatives, who engaged in discussions and made productive decisions over the two-day
session. The focus was on preventing violent extremism and promoting peace, contributing to the emptying of camps in Northeast Syria and reducing the risk of terrorism.

In the speech delivered on behalf of the Minister of Interior, the National Coordinator for Violent Extremism, Ms. Lejdi Dervishi, presented a detailed analysis of the challenges and best practices
for the rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees from conflict zones.

She thanked, on behalf of the Minister of Interior and Albanian institutions, the Chairman of the GCERF Governing Board, Mr. Stefano Manservisi, for the support so far and highlighted the
difficulties faced by Albanian institutions and the successes achieved with the support of GCERF over the years, making Albania a model of success in reintegrating returnees from conflict zones.

The second day’s meeting on June 26, 2024, featured high-level personalities discussing thetheme “Emptying the Camps in Northeast Syria: Reducing the Threat of Terrorism,” organized
by the GCERF Center in Geneva at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy headquarters.

During his speech, Dr. Khalid Koser, Executive Director of GCERF, praised the positive experiences of Albania and Kosovo, while Mr. Xhelal Sveçla, Minister of Internal Affairs of Kosovo, spoke about the experiences and challenges encountered in the reintegration of repatriated women and children.

Subsequently, Mr. Wagner expressed the consistent support of EU institutions for the participating states, and in the presence of the Ambassador of the Mission of the Republic of Albania to the UN in Geneva, Ms.Vasilika Hysi, the positive model of civil society engagement in Albania on P/CVE issues was recognized.

In her speech, Ms. Dervishi called for sustainability in the implementation of programs for preventing violent extremism (PVE) and the rehabilitation and reintegration processes of returnees from conflict zones for the year 2025, based on the GCERF Investment Strategy for Albania 2024-2027, as many of the programs supported by this fund will end at the end of 2024.

The 20th meeting of the GCERF Governing Board concluded by approving 20 decisions, notably requesting the Board to direct the Secretariat to continue granting further funding to the current beneficiary countries of GCERF and to new countries expected to collaborate in the P/CVE field.

The meeting was closed by the Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Ambassador Thomas Greminger.

The participation of the CVE Center in the 20 th GCERF Board meeting underscores its commitment to addressing the challenges of violent extremism and contributing to global efforts in rehabilitation and reintegration.