10 FAM 500
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT CENTER (GEC)
10 FAM 510
introduction
(CT:PEC-40; 09-07-2017)
(Office of Origin: R/PPR)
10 FAM 511 INTRODUCTION to GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT CENTER
(CT:PEC-40; 09-07-2017)
a. The Global Engagement Center (GEC) leads, synchronizes, and coordinates efforts of the Federal Government to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining U.S. national security interests.
b. The GEC was established pursuant to Executive Order 13721 of March 14, 2016, with a narrower mission focused on coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing Government-wide communications activities directed at foreign audiences abroad to counter the messaging and diminish the influence of international terrorist organizations and other violent extremists abroad. Subsequently, Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 expanded the GEC’s mission, assigned it new functions, and granted it additional legal authorities.
(1) The executive director of the GEC is the Special Envoy and Coordinator for Global Engagement Communications (Coordinator) who reports to the Secretary through the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (R);
(2) The GEC carries out the following responsibilities and functions pursuant to Executive Order 13721:
(a) Coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing all public communications of the U.S. Government directed toward foreign audiences abroad in order to counter the messaging and diminish the influence of international terrorist organizations and other violent extremists abroad;
(b) Developing and promulgating throughout the executive branch, on the basis of rigorous research and modern data analysis, the U.S. strategic counterterrorism narratives, guidance, and associated communications strategies directed toward foreign audiences abroad in order to counter the messaging and diminish the influence of international terrorist organizations and other violent extremists abroad;
(c) Consulting and engaging, in coordination with agencies and the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force, as appropriate, with a range of communications-related actors and entities, within the United States and abroad, including governments, private sector and civil society entities, in order to contribute to U.S. Government efforts to counter the communications-related radicalization to violence and recruitment activities of international terrorist organizations and other violent extremists abroad, while also building the capacity of partners to create resonant positive alternative narratives and to diminish the influence of such international terrorist organizations and other violent extremists abroad;
(d) Identifying, engaging, employing, or acquiring the best available talent across the United States and from global private sectors, academia, and elsewhere to support the GEC’s mission;
(e) Identifying shortfalls in any U.S. capabilities in any areas relevant to the GEC's mission and implementing or recommending, as appropriate, necessary enhancements or changes; and
(f) Developing, supporting, and sustaining networks of governmental and non-governmental partners, to provide original content and disseminate messaging products to foreign audiences abroad and to create, develop, and sustain effective positive alternative narratives consistent with U.S. policy objectives.
(3) Further, the GEC carries out the following additional responsibilities and functions pursuant to the NDAA:
(a) Integrating interagency and international efforts to track and evaluate counterfactual narratives abroad that threaten the national security interests of the United States and U.S. allies and partner nations;
(b) Analyzing relevant information, data, analysis, and analytics from U.S. Government agencies, U.S. allies and partner nations, think tanks, academic institutions, civil society groups, and other nongovernmental organizations;
(c) As needed, supporting the development and dissemination of fact-based narratives and analysis to counter propaganda and disinformation directed at the United States and U.S. allies and partner nations;
(d) Identifying current and emerging trends in foreign propaganda and disinformation in order to coordinate and shape the development of tactics, techniques, and procedures to expose and refute foreign misinformation and disinformation and proactively promote fact-based narratives and policies to audiences outside the United States;
(e) Facilitating the use of a wide range of technologies and techniques by sharing expertise among Federal departments and agencies, seeking expertise from external sources, and implementing best practices;
(f) Identifying gaps in U.S. capabilities in areas relevant to the purpose of the GEC and recommending necessary enhancements or changes;
(g) Identifying the countries and populations most susceptible to propaganda and disinformation based on information provided by appropriate interagency entities;
(h) Administering an information access fund;
(i) Coordinating with U.S. allies and partner nations in order to amplify the GEC’s efforts and avoid duplication; and
(j) Maintaining, collecting, using, and disseminating records (as such term is defined in section 552a(a)(4) of title 5, U.S. Code) for research and data analysis of foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts and communications related to public diplomacy efforts intended for foreign audiences. Such research and data analysis shall be reasonably tailored to meet the purposes of this paragraph and shall be carried out with due regard for privacy and civil liberties guidance and oversight.