It was a great pleasure and honor to host a delegation from the Kenyan Commission on Administrative Justice and members of Kenya’s National Assembly at DCAF headquarters this week. We discussed the ways in which we could help strengthen independent oversight of the country’s armed forces. Since 2009 we have worked with armed forces ombuds institutions around the world to enhance respect for human rights and prevent abuse through the adoption of grievance mechanisms and effective oversight policies.
26 May 2023This week our Director Nathalie Chuard and our team of experts welcomed the Director of the Swiss Peace Institute, Stefan Aegerter, and the Institute’s Head of Research and Linguistics, Cyril Amerg. They discussed support for police education and training, and the importance of evidence-based policy and research when designing police reforms. We support police reform processes and integrity building initiatives around the world, including our recent work to ensure effective governance over the use of force.
26 May 2023The vice president of the Niger National Human Rights Commission, Ms. Kako Fatima Moussa, spoke to the press this week at the regional conference on human rights protection mechanisms in the context of insecurity in the Sahel. The discussion included human rights commissions, mediators, and other key actors in the protection of human rights in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Follow our work in the countries in the region through our monthly Sahel Newsletter in English and French.
25 May 2023Our senior managers in Geneva gathered today for the first of many brainstorming sessions that will feed into the development of the next DCAF Strategy, which will run from 2025 to 2029. They discussed how to remain agile and responsive to the needs of our partners and donors as they grapple with the ever-evolving challenges of implementing security sector reform processes. They also looked at how DCAF can remain innovative and show the value of SSG/R in terms of contributing to international policy agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
24 May 2023Jean-Michel Rousseau of our Business & Security Division is in New York for discussions at the United Nations Protection of Civilians Week. As part of our 15 years of international engagement on this issue, we joined a roundtable on privatized wars and the rising trend of private security companies and mercenaries (PMSCs). A main discussion point revolved around the Montreux Document, which provides a blueprint for governments to regulate PMSCs. Based on research and firsthand accounts, panelists discussed strategies for better management and mitigation of the risks to civilians from mercenaries.
23 May 2023