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 GECs 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 GECs 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 GECs 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.