The first meeting of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum’s Working Group on Capacity-Building in the Sahel is scheduled to take place in Algiers on November 16 and 17, declared Minister Delegate for Maghreb and African Affairs Messahel in New York.

“The Algerian government will spare no effort to ensure successful proceedings for this group,” said Mr. Messahel, in an address delivered before the Forum, in the presence of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the representative of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the ministers for Foreign Affairs of the founding member countries of the forum.

The minister underlined that Algeria is honored to co-chair with Canada the working group on capacity-building against terrorism in the Sahel. The working group is part of five thematic and regional working groups established by the Forum.

Mr. Messahel said that the official launching of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) constitutes “taking a significant step and laying an important cornerstone in the global architecture in the fight against terrorism, which we all want to be complete, consistent and efficient.”

He added that the GCTF “contributes to strengthening the international security system and provides the conditions of peace, stability and development to the world we live in.”

Algeria, he continued, “congratulates the American government for this major and innovative initiative which materializes at a time when the threat of terrorism is still present in the world.”