Enhancing financial control and oversight of the security sector

Context
In the Sahel, the issue of responsibility and accountability of security and justice service providers is central to meeting the security needs of citizens. The mismanagement of financial resources allocated to security institutions contributes to a sense of insecurity and mistrust of state services.

DCAF is working alongside national partners to improve the accountability of security institutions and to increase the effectiveness of the services provided to the population through enhanced financial control and oversight of the security sector in the G5 Sahel states.

Objectives and DCAF approach
DCAF will accompany relevant control and oversight actors, both internal and external, to promote financial control and oversight in the security sector and ensure that public funds allocated to the security of citizens are used in a transparent and accountable manner. 

DCAF will operate within the frameworks established at the national and international level — particularly, but not exclusively: African Union (AU) Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and similar crimes (AU Convention, 2003); United Nations Convention against Corruption (UN Convention, 2003); United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC, 2000); Community Protocol against Corruption. 

This project contributes to the achievement of the African Union Policy Framework on Security Reform (2013) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 "Peace, justice and strong institutions”  which aims to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”.

The project has currently several similar initiatives underway in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Activities

• ACTIVITY 1: Assessment and analysis of the context and actors involved in the financial control and oversight of the security sector in Chad and Mauritania.
• ACTIVITY 2: Sharing of best practices and advocacy sessions with financial control and oversight actors in Chad and Mauritania.
• ACTIVITY 3: Participation of representatives of the five States in the annual regional conference financial control of the security sector. Learn more: The regional conference on best practices in resource management in the defence and security sector 
• ACTIVITY 4: Capacity building for financial control and oversight actors in the security sector in Chad and Mauritania.

Donors
The project was launched in March 2021 with the support of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic (MEAE).