Last week, DCAF conducted a two-day train-the-trainers workshop on International Humanitarian Law for military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Participants did practical exercises to be able to better respond to the challenges soldiers face in respecting the laws of war during operations. This includes protecting civilians and non-combatants from the ill-effects of conflict. This training of trainers is part of broader cooperation between DCAF and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on ensuring respect and adherence to the principles and norms of IHL during the current war against the country.
08 Dec 2023DCAF recently travelled to beautiful Bern to deliver a workshop on security sector reform and DDR (disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration) for representatives of the Swiss government and armed forces. Co-organised with the Swiss Department of Defence and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the workshop highlighted the importance of adopting an integrated approach and strengthening inter- and cross-departmental coordination to achieve greater success of reform and good governance initiatives in the security sector.
07 Dec 2023Last week, DCAF held its first-ever Gender Focal Points retreat in Geneva. The internal Gender Focal Points network was created to support increased gender mainstreaming throughout our programmes and projects, from design to implementation to evaluation. All DCAF entities and some regional offices now have a focal point to help build the capacity of their team and ensure that gender equality is embodied in their work every step of the way. DCAF's Director, Nathalie Chuard, is an International Gender Champion and the focal points network is the realization of one of her 2023 commitments to improving gender equality.
06 Dec 2023DCAF has been engaged with the Global Compact since 2012, and we are thrilled to now be part of the formal network that supports, promotes, and implements the Compact’s ten principles for companies in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment, and anti-corruption. Among our efforts as part of the Compact, we will aim to influence Swiss and Swiss-based companies to implement more effective and accountable security management and human rights due diligence in complex environments, including through our strategic partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
05 Dec 2023Recently we worked with the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to bring members of Western Balkan Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) to Germany. They met with federal entities such as the Office for Information Security, and the ministries of Defence and Interior, to exchange insights and knowledge on cybersecurity. This was the fourth peer exchange we have organized between Western Balkans CERTs and their EU counterparts as part of our cybersecurity governance programme.
04 Dec 2023