DCAF Activities in Central Asia
DCAF's projects in Central Asia have focused on parliamentary and civil society capacity building on democratic security sector oversight issues, as well as on defence and law enforcement reform pilot projects. In cooperation with UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre, DCAF has worked with Central Asian parliamentarians on democratic oversight capacity building issues at a regional level. Via the PfP Consortium and the PAP-DIB platform, DCAF has worked with defence and civil society experts on defence reform issues. An annual programme focusing on law enforcement reform was launched in 2007 in cooperation with the International Police Training Centre, Budapest. In January 2007, DCAF's cooperation with Kyrgyz parliamentarians and civil society organisations culminated in the adoption of a Law on 'Control of Armed Organizations'.
In 2011, the 2008 ODIHR-DCAF Handbook on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Armed Forces Personnel in its Russian language version was the focal point of seminars in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and Baku (Azerbaijan). Substantial quantities of the publication were also made available to interested civil society organisations in Tajikistan and Armenia.
With sponsorship from MoD Switzerland, two studies on Central Asian regional security cooperation and internal security governance developments were commissioned from Kazakh and Kyrgyz experts and will be published in 2012.
