Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS unveils new strategy at Madrid meeting

Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS unveils new strategy at Madrid meeting
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Senior diplomats from the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS met in Madrid on Tuesday to renew their commitment to dismantling ISIS networks worldwide and to introduce a new strategy addressing evolving threats. Hosted by Spain and co-chaired by Spain’s Alberto Ucelay and U.S. Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory D. LoGerfo, the coalition focused on curbing ISIS’s operational planning, recruitment, foreign fighter movements, and financial support, with particular attention to camps in northeastern Syria housing detained fighters and displaced civilians.

The coalition emphasized enhanced border security, intelligence sharing, and repatriation efforts for ISIS-linked individuals, especially from Syria, Iraq, and other regions. A new Terrorist Travel Working Group, launched in May at INTERPOL headquarters, aims to improve coordination between international law enforcement and counterterrorism efforts. Uzbekistan joined the coalition, recognized for tackling ISIS-Khorasan threats in Central Asia. The group also welcomed the U.K. and Türkiye-led ISIS-K Diplomatic Grouping.

African members, including Nigeria, called for stronger regional cooperation to combat ISIS affiliates in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on disrupting financial networks and cross-border terrorist movements. The coalition agreed on a structural overhaul, creating regional task forces for Syria and Iraq, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, to enhance responsiveness and effectiveness against ISIS’s adaptive threats.