Eelco Kessels

Eelco Kessels (@EelcoKessels) is Executive Director of the Global Center on Cooperative Security, a nonprofit organization that works towards a more just and secure world by addressing the root causes of violent extremism. He regularly advises members of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, civil society, and private sector entities on inclusive, human rights-based policies and practices that are globally informed and locally grounded. He has authored a number of reports, including as co-author of the June 2023 report “Blue Sky VI: An Independent Analysis of UN Counterterrorism Efforts”. He has more than a decade of experience developing and coordinating research and programming activities across Africa and Asia, related to managing and reintegrating terrorism offenders, identifying and addressing violent extremist radicalization in prisons, countering violent extremism, and rule of law–based approaches to counterterrorism. Previously, he worked for the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague, Leiden University, and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also on LinkedIn.