Topic: 2025 – Reducing Recruitment Capabilities of Terrorist Groups
Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Colin Pattison
Disarmament & International Security Committee
Reducing the Recruitment Capabilities of Terrorist Groups
Federal Republic of Germany
Colin Pattison
Forest Hills Eastern High School
Germany, post–World War II, faced significant far-left terrorism. A major terrorist group during the period following World War II was the Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF), which committed many bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations. These acts led to the 1977 “Deutscher Herbst” (German Autumn), a particularly dark time for Germany in terms of terrorism. After Germany reunified, the terrorism it faced earlier led to broader terrorism concerns outside of Germany as well. Germany began taking steps to stop terrorism, such as establishing the Gemeinsames Terrorismusabwehrzentrum (GTAZ) in 2004, a center aimed at stopping Islamist terrorism. Following 9/11, Germany also updated legislation to be more anti-terrorism. Then in 2007, Germany created joint internet centers to track terrorist propaganda and recruitment networks. Overall, Germany has experienced the terrifying nature of terrorist organizations and is dedicated to doing what it takes to limit terrorists’ power and their recruitment capabilities.
In the present day, Germany dedicates itself to limiting terrorist groups and their recruitment abilities. Just in 2025, Germany banned Muslim Interaktiv, an organization believed to promote an Islamist extremist ideology. Germany has also increased surveillance (through the BfV) on the political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) for its potentially dangerous right-wing extremist views, in hopes of preventing its recruitment capabilities. In addition, Germany funds programs run by NGOs to prevent radicalization; these programs offer support centers for individuals or families concerned about radicalization. Germany also recognizes that social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat can be used for extremist and terrorist recruitment, so it works to monitor and crack down on these platforms to prevent recruitment. Ultimately, Germany today is committed to combating terrorism and its recruitment ability, focusing heavily on the roughly 50,250 people considered to be right-wing extremists.
For the future, Germany hopes to continue limiting terrorism and radicalization by stopping recruitment. By building on initiatives like EXIT-Deutschland, Germany can keep pushing toward this goal while also expanding other existing programs and plans. Germany hopes to maintain a “holistic approach,” combining education and social programs to decrease radicalization and recruitment. Groups like Muslim Interaktiv will remain a major focus, with Germany aiming to ban and eventually dissolve such organizations. By continuing and building on these programs and others (such as BfV surveillance), Germany hopes to weaken terrorist organizations and decrease their recruitment capabilities.
