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
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 2024This 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 2024DCAF’s team in Banjul recently met with the newly appointed Inspector General of The Gambia Police Force, IGP Seedy M. Touray. They briefed him on the achievements of our recently concluded EU-Funded reform project with the national Police. These include the creation of a new policing doctrine with associated policies procedures, training in various aspects of policing, support to internal and external oversight mechanisms, and the creation of a database of laws and policies governing security institutions the country. The IGP and the senior management were also briefed on DCAF’s follow-on EU Funded project, 'SSR project for improved security, migration and border management'.
17 Apr 2024Last week, DCAF’s Director Ambassador Nathalie Chuard was in Basel for the 3rd annual International Cooperation Forum. Organized by the Swiss Government, it welcomed some 1,700 people from over 100 countries and the worlds of politics, business, research, philanthropy, and community activism. Peace was the theme of this year's event. In a panel discussion on the future of UN peacekeeping, our Director underlined the critical importance of taking an inclusive, people-centered approach to creating a sustainable peace. More than a new template, said Ambassador Chuard, we need a change of mindset.
15 Apr 2024