The Second Australia-India-Japan-United States (Quad) Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG) Meeting was held from November 20 to 22 at Mita Kaigisho. The meeting brought together ambassadors and senior officials responsible for counterterrorism from each Quad partner nation to address global threats posed by international terrorism.
During the discussions, participants focused on the misuse of information and communication technology (ICT) and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for terrorist purposes. The meeting reaffirmed commitments made by Quad leaders in September and foreign ministers in July to collaborate closely in countering these threats.
Japan’s delegation was led by Hiroyuki Minami, who oversees International Cooperation for Countering Terrorism and International Organized Crime. Other representatives included Robert Rushby from Australia and K. D. Dewal from India.
A significant component of the meeting was a tabletop exercise that engaged practitioners in discussing effective countermeasures against ICT misuse and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats. Quad partners also confirmed plans to establish an information-sharing network to enhance their collective counterterrorism efforts.
The CTWG was launched at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in March 2023, with its first session held in Honolulu. This was Japan’s first time hosting the CTWG, with India set to host the next meeting in 2025.
