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News

Supporting civilian oversight in Ukraine

Recently, DCAF brought together 16 Ukrainian civil society organizations to discuss the perspectives, needs, and priorities for civil society in terms of engaging with the security sector and its effective governance. Participants shared their experiences and insights, and pinpointed critical challenges. It marked a key step in the process of helping to reinforce the capacities of Ukrainian civil society organizations to play an active in security sector governance in the country. DCAF is currently supporting Ukraine with a number of initiatives, including enhancing its military justice system and training soldiers on International Humanitarian Law.

29 Apr 2024

Climate change and the security sector

As part of the Honduran National Police University's training of over 100 Sub-inspectors and Inspectors of Police, DCAF was asked to create a tailored training session on the role of security services in tackling climate change. DCAF Project Officer Diego Garcia led an in-depth session based on our climate security research gathered from a stocktaking study in six countries. The course discussed international good practices, risk analysis, and recommendations for an institutional response to climate change.

25 Apr 2024

Building gender into post-conflict security sector reforms

The Center for High Defense Studies in Rome, Italy, invited us to help facilitate their first-ever international course focusing on gender in military operations. Bringing together experienced participants from across Europe, the course focused on how to mainstream gender through security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) processes, two key elements of post-conflict recovery. They brought their knowledge and experience to the discussion which helped to identify barriers and opportunities and made it a really valuable and productive workshop, preparing these leaders to promote gender-sensitive operations in the future.

23 Apr 2024

Developing the SSG/R skills of military officers

Last week DCAF was in Yaoundé, Cameroon to deliver a four-day seminar on security sector reform to students of the International War College (ESIG) and the International School for Security Forces (EIFORCES). This seminar equips participants with the professional skills to be champions of defense and security forces reform inside their institutions. Thank you to the participants for their engagement all week, and to Brig. General NKA Valère, Commander of ESIG, Brig. General André Patrice Bitote, Director General of EIFORCES, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support.

22 Apr 2024

Preparing to bring ombuds from around the world to Germany

This week, DCAF and the German Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces hosted a preparatory meeting for the 16th International Conference of Ombuds Institutions for the Armed Forces (ICOAF). Created by DCAF in 2009, the annual conference gathers together representatives of ombuds institutions for the armed forces from around the world to share lessons learned and establish best practices related to the mandate, powers, and functioning of these institutions. To date, representatives of ombuds institutions of over 50 states have participated in the ICOAF initiative. This year’s meeting will take place in Berlin in October.

18 Apr 2024