Doha Hub

Programme Office Description 


International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism

The “International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism”, a UNOCT Programme Office in Doha, was established by UNOCT in partnership with the State of Qatar in 2020.

The International Hub will serve as a global platform for creating knowledge around behavioural insights to prevent and counter terrorism, disseminating lessons learned and good practices, and creating a professional network of experts, academics, practitioners, and policymakers. The Hub will provide innovative, results-oriented, and impactful capacity-building support that meets the needs and priorities of Member States to address evolving terrorist threats, leveraging its field presence for closer support to beneficiaries seeking technical assistance. It will also provide outreach opportunities to strengthen coordination among various counter-terrorism actors on behaviourally informed interventions and mobilise synergies and resources for joint programming. 

The International Hub will further promote strategic and practical partnerships to strengthen international cooperation for the effective implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.  The global programme will develop a range of programmatic support and technical assistance, such as policy briefs, reference guides, trainings, workshops, projects, and initiatives developed and delivered by Member States, United Nations entities, and international and regional organizations that integrate behavioural insights and perspectives to counter terrorism.

Recent highlights:

In the margins of the UN High-Level Counter-Terrorism Week 2021, the International Hub organised a behavioural insights-focused side event, gathering over 230 participants. The International Hub built a comprehensive directory of institutions and individuals with recognized research and analysis expertise in the field of the application of behavioural insights and/or CT & P/CVE.

Quote from SG Guterres

E-Learning Objectives


For the e-learning platform, the International Hub is in the process of developing training material and dedicated modules on the application of behavioural insights to counter-terrorism, aligned with the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the UN PVE Plan of Action and other reference documents.

These material and modules will be used for capacity-building workshops, training and seminars for Member States, local communities, religious institutions, academic and research institutions, civil society, NGOs, the private sector, international, regional and subregional organizations.

Through providing technical expertise, the material and modules aim to help governments and CT partners optimise their programme design and impact to prevent and counter terrorism through behavioural approaches and interventions to tackle violent extremism conducive to terrorism.

The International Hub will leverage the expertise of local, regional and international CT actors and behavioural experts, and enhance programming cooperation and coordination with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities operating in the field for impactful and “all-of-UN” programme delivery on behavioural insights to counter terrorism.