Somalia takes over East Africa's seat on the board of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund

Somalia takes over East Africa's seat on the board of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund

 Somalia has assumed the seat representing East Africa on the Board of Directors of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), succeeding Kenya, which held the seat for the past several years.

This occurred during a high-level meeting of the Fund's Board of Directors held in Geneva, Switzerland, with the participation of officials and representatives from European, African, and Arab countries, as well as Japan. Participants discussed ways to strengthen efforts to prevent violent extremism in their countries and support local communities in confronting security and ideological challenges.

Somalia was represented at the meeting by Ali Yassin Gurbeh, Director General of the National Center for Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism, who, by virtue of this decision, will represent Somalia, Kenya, and Mozambique on the Fund's Board of Directors.

The transfer of the seat to Somalia comes after Kenya's representative had held the regional representation for the three countries for several years, giving Mogadishu a greater role in contributing to the development of policies and programs related to countering violent extremism and building community resilience.

This move is seen as an indication of Somalia's growing presence in international institutions and platforms concerned with community security and countering extremism, reflecting the country's efforts to promote stability and build institutions. The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) Board of Directors is scheduled to hold its next meeting in Tokyo, Japan.