DCAF DAYS 2026
For its 2026 edition, the DCAF Days will bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers and partners from across the security sector governance community for three days of dialogue, exchange and reflection on key challenges and opportunities shaping the future of security sector governance.
The event will feature public discussions, expert panels and dedicated exchanges with national, European and international partners. It will provide a platform to discuss emerging trends, share experiences and explore practical approaches to strengthening effective, accountable and inclusive security sector governance in a rapidly changing global environment.
Join us for a series of public discussions exploring Europe's expanding security cooperation with partner countries, in the European neighbourhood and beyond.
15 September
09:00-09:15 - Opening remarks
Ambassador Nathalie Chuard – Director, DCAF
Ms Kirsi Henriksson – Deputy Managing Director and Deputy Civilian Operations Commander, Civilian Operations Headquarters (CivOpsHQ), European External Action Service (EEAS)
09:15-10:45 - Security and stability in Syria: a cornerstone for recovery and development
Ambassador Nathalie Chuard – Director, DCAF
Maj Gen Alaa Droubi – Deputy Minister for Planning, Ministry of Interior, Syrian Arab Republic
Ms Mihaela Matei – Deputy Head of Division, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, European External Action Service (EEAS)
Mr Mohamed Haykal – Vice President, Syrian Strategic Forum
Mr Ayman Ayoub – Head of Middle East and North Africa, DCAF (moderator)
11:15-12:45 - Building resilience against hybrid threats: strengthening institutions and protecting democracies in the Eastern Neighbourhood
Ms Ana Revenco – Former Director of the Centre for Strategic Communications and Countering Disinformation, former Minister of Internal Affairs, Republic of Moldova
Ms Natalie Pauwels – Head of Unit for Strategic Coordination and Communication, European Commission (DG ENEST)
Ms Lilya Afrikyan – Head of the Department of Participatory and Open Governance Issues, Office of the Prime Minister, Armenia
Mr Denis Cenusa – Associated Expert at the Geopolitical Security Studies Centre, Lithuania, and the Centre for European Policy Analysis, US
Ms Béatrice Godefroy – Deputy Director, DCAF (moderator)
16 September
09:00-10:30 - The trade-security nexus and the Global Gateway strategy: implementing the 360°-approach in sub-Saharan Africa
Mr Prosper D. K. Bani – National Security Advisor to the President of Ghana, former Minister of Interior
Mr Domenico Rosa – Head of Unit, Strategic Partnerships with Africa, European Commission (DG INTPA)
Ms Sophie Desmidt – Associate Director for People, Partnerships and Peace, ECDPM
Dr Alan Bryden – Head of Business and Security, DCAF (moderator)