New CFR Interactive Illustrates Shortcomings of Global Counterterrorism Efforts

As the ten-year anniversary of the attacks of September 11 approaches, a new component of the Council on Foreign Relations’ (CFR) Global Governance Monitor finds that counterterrorism efforts worldwide are still insufficient and uncoordinated.

The multimedia guide’s new component demonstrates that the international counterterrorism regime suffers from three main weaknesses:
—A lack of a universal agreement over what constitutes terrorism;
—Inadequate compliance and enforcement of existing multilateral treaties and instruments, reflecting lack of capacity and will; and
—Inadequate progress in counterradicalization and deradicalization initiatives, particularly in states with limited resources and expertise.

The monitor offers options for strengthening the global counterterrorism regime, such as building capacity in developing countries, supporting international technological and law enforcement cooperation, strengthening nuclear security, and more.

"As the world reflects on the horrific attacks of 9/11, we have an opportunity to reassess the global community’s response to terrorism. This interactive guide presents the full breadth of information in a clear, accessible format, with the aim of bringing successes and weaknesses of the counterterrorism regime to the fore," says Stewart M. Patrick, CFR senior fellow and director of the International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) program, which produces the monitor.

First launched in 2009, the Global Governance Monitor tracks multilateral efforts to address global challenges. Similar to the guide’s six other issue-specific components assessing the nonproliferation, finance, oceans governance, climate change, armed conflict, and the public health regimes, the new chapter on terrorism includes:

—A brief video explaining the challenges presented by terrorism and the urgency of improving global counterterrorism efforts.
—A graphic timeline tracing the history of terrorism as well as counterterrorism initiatives, from 1881 through the present.
—An issue brief summarizing the status of the multilateral terrorism prevention and response regime, with steps the United States can take to address gaps in the regime. A matrix cataloging international agreements, institutions, and organizations related to terrorism, including their coverage, strengths, and shortcomings.
—An interactive map detailing flashpoints in the fight against terrorism as well as the international agencies that attempt to manage these challenges.
—A list of resources, including foundational texts, essential documents, recent articles, and CFR scholars on the subject.

Future components will address human rights and transnational organized crime.

View all of the monitor’s components at www.cfr.org/ggmonitor. Produced in collaboration with MediaStorm, the feature is made possible by a generous grant from the Robina Foundation.

More CFR interactives can be found at: www.cfr.org/publication/interactives.html.

The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. CFR takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

The International Institutions and Global Governance (IIGG) program at the Council on Foreign Relations aims to identify the institutional requirements for effective multilateral cooperation in the twenty-first century.

MediaStorm is a production company whose principal aim is to usher in the next generation of multimedia storytelling by publishing social documentary projects incorporating photojournalism, interactivity, animation, audio and video for distribution across multiple media.