We were honored to be part of a discussion this week in Nairobi about strengthening national-level oversight for security sector governance in Kenya. Many thanks to Florence Kajuju, chair of the Kenyan Ombudsman office, and other civil society organizations for inviting us to join the conversation on how to create an effective redress and grievance mechanism for the defence sector. Better oversight of armed forces helps safeguard both citizens and members of the armed forces.
25 Aug 2023Our Director Nathalie Chuard is in Bern this week at the Swiss Ambassadors and International Network Conference. More than 200 participants are discussing how Switzerland can adjust its foreign policy strategy to better address today's global challenges. Chuard spoke on a panel about the Swiss contribution to peace and security in Europe in the context of the war against Ukraine. DCAF is supporting the Swiss government in its term on the UN Security Council with specialized analysis and expert advice on how reform and good governance of the security sector can contribute to establishing sustainable peace and development.
24 Aug 2023This week the Jordanian Public Security Directorate released its Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) report. The MOWIP assessed the policies and practices inside the PSD and identified existing barriers to greater women’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations. Supported by DCAF, the MOWIP process in Jordan contributes to a growing body of data that will guide Troop and Police Contributing Countries on how to improve gender equality in their security institutions, and have women more meaningfully contribute to peace operations. Several countries have conducted MOWIP assessments under the auspices of the Elsie Initiative, which is generously supported by Canada and Norway.
17 Aug 2023We are happy to welcome a new group of interns who come to us from graduate schools across Geneva. As paid members of our staff, they work with teams across the house – from contributing to policy and research development, to organizing trainings and workshops, to supporting communications and donor relations. We caught a few in the sunshine outside the Maison de la Paix this week: (back row, L to R) Hannah Eriksen, Matthew Currie, Zachary Fesen. (Front row, L to R): Cristina Shah, Maya Warakaulle, Asmaa el Alaoui Talibi, Lorenzo de Calice Crespo and Katie Maloan. DCAF hires interns all year round; we have two current vacancies in our MENA team.
16 Aug 2023Recently DCAF facilitated a consultation workshop on legal reforms for the prevention of torture in Lebanon. The event brought together representatives of security agencies, the National Preventative Mechanism against Torture, the judiciary, Parliament, government, civil society and the United Nations to discuss findings and gather feedback. The workshop focused on reforms that will be necessary in the legislative and executive, as well as the judiciary and law enforcement. Lebanon was the first country in the MENA region to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture in December 2010.
16 Aug 2023
