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News

Welcoming the President of the Swiss Council of States

DCAF and our sister centres had the honor of welcoming Eva Herzog to the Maison de la Paix this week. DCAF, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining are all Swiss foundations that work, in different ways, to advance the security of people and states around the world. We are thankful to Switzerland for its steadfast partnership in our work and for its global leadership in promoting peace and security.

26 Jun 2024

Sowing the seeds of good governance in military officers of the future

DCAF’s team in Skopje recently participated in the Military Summer Campus 2024 in North Macedonia. The Summer Campus is an annual military exercise organized by the North Macedonian army for officer cadets from 14 NATO and non-NATO countries. They have lectures on various topics related to defense and security and take part in a military exercise designed to test their skills and strategic knowledge. DCAF presented the principles and mechanisms of effective accountability of armed forces, and introduced our Intelligence and Security Sector Reform Programme in North Macedonia.

25 Jun 2024

Protecting the human rights of military conscripts

DCAF was in Bishkek recently to talk about the rights of conscripts with representatives from the Kyrgyzstan Ministries of Justice and Defence, the Military Prosecutor’s Office, Border Services, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The National Centre for the Prevention of Torture presented findings from a DCAF-supported survey on conscripts' rights. All men in Kyrgyzstan between the ages of 18 and 27 are conscripted to serve in the military for 12 months; 9 months if they are in university. The study highlighted key challenges faced by soldiers during their service.

24 Jun 2024

The role of women in peace negotiations

Last week, DCAF co-hosted an enriching event on women's participation in establishing peace and security arrangements, especially in conflict-affected environments. With the Permanent Missions of Colombia and Norway to the UN and the Berghof Foundation, we hosted a conversation with Victoria Sandino Simanca Herrera, an ex-combatant of the former FARC-EP, former Colombian Senator, and a negotiator of the Colombian Peace Agreement. She discussed her work to include a gender perspective in the Total Peace Agreement in Colombia and the challenges that women still face in raising their voices during peace negotiations.

20 Jun 2024

Gambian Immigration Department approves anti-harassment policies

DCAF and the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) hosted a four-day workshop to review and validate the GID's new gender mainstreaming and anti-sexual harassment policies. It marked a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to promote gender equality and improve operational efficiency within the department. Staff from across the GID joined the colleagues from the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. This collaborative effort underscores a strong collective commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace. This work is possible thanks to support from the European Union and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

19 Jun 2024