Former EU Counterterrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove Joins CEP Advisory Board

(New York, N.Y.) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today announced that former European Union (EU) Counterterrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove has joined its Advisory Board.

“We are thrilled to have Mr. de Kerchove join us at the Counter Extremism Project,” said CEP CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace. “His expertise in fighting domestic and foreign extremist threats on behalf of the European Union will be of great benefit to CEP and the broader public. We are excited to work together and will benefit from his lifelong commitment to public service and security.”

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with an individual as well-versed in counterterrorism as Mr. de Kerchove,” said CEP President and former U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Frances F. Townsend. “I look forward to working side-by-side with him as CEP addresses the major and emerging extremist threats across the globe.”

Mr. de Kerchove served as EU counterterrorism coordinator from 2007-2021, where he coordinated the EU’s counterterrorism efforts and helped ensure they remained a constant force in the fight against terrorism. Previously, he served as director in the general directorate of the Justice and Home Affairs in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union from 1995-2007 and as deputy secretary of the European Convention that drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

As a senior Belgian official, Mr. de Kerchove has also held a number of positions including head of the Private Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Belgium, minister of justice, minister of economic affairs, and minister of defense. Mr. de Kerchove currently teaches European law at the Catholic University of Louvain, the Free University of Brussels, the University of St Louis Brussels, and the College of Europe.

“The Counter Extremism Project is lucky to have such a renowned counterterrorism expert join its advisory board,” said CEP Senior Advisor and University of California, Berkeley professor Dr. Hany Farid. “Having had the privilege of working with Gilles to address the threat of online radicalization, especially hashing technology and algorithmic amplification, I am excited to continue our work to fight global extremist threats.”

“I am honored to join an organization like the Counter Extremism Project that has proven itself time and again as an essential resource on the ever-increasing threat of extremist ideologies,” stated Mr. de Kerchove. “I am eager to lend a voice and a hand in combating terrorism through CEP’s efforts.”

###