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Intelligence Reform

Intelligence and security services are an integral part of the security sector, and – when subject to democratic control, effective oversight, and the rule of law – they can make a valuable contribution to the provision of security and protection of human rights.

DCAF Programming focuses on strengthening legal and institutional frameworks, and capacity, for more effective oversight and control leading to more accountable and effective intelligence and security services.

Our partners include parliaments, judicial institutions, ministries, intelligence and security services, regulatory and expert oversight, and control bodies, civil society, media and international actors.

Wherever there are authorizations, there is overstepping of those authorisations. In the absence of good control and oversight such overstepping will happen, as it was the case in North Macedonia.

Zoran Angelovski, Director, Operational Technical Agency (OTA)

Workstreams/Projects

The video is from 360 Stepeni, an independent Macedonian TV production company who based on investigative journalism produces a weekly political talk show in North Macedonia. The 360 Stepeni talk show on Friday 21 Oct 2022, on ALSAT, includes a unique and rare interview with the Director of the Intelligence Agency in North Macedonia. The show also includes a sequence summarizing DCAF's Annual Review Conference on Intelligence and Security Sector Reforms, held in Skopje on 19.10.2022. The conference reflected on achievements and remaining challenges, here under EU membership requirements, for North Macedonia.

Watch the highlights of the conference:

Or have a glance at the key takeaways:

Having lived a life in secrecy, unreformed for decades and suspected of being used as a tool against political opposition, the secret services of North Macedonia are gradually being subjected to more external oversight and judicial controls. And as a result, slowly becoming more transparent.

This 30-minute Story of Change Documentary takes you behind the scenes and describes achievements and challenges as of 2021 linked to recently initiated Government-led reforms - a process DCAF has contributed to since early 2018.

SHORT VERSION

The mini-documentaries are TV in-depth stories combining informational videos and storytelling. The videos explain the progress and reforms implemented in the intelligence and security sector in North Macedonia. They raise awareness of the contemporary challenges and milestones in the respective sector and increase public trust in the intelligence and security institutions and actors in North Macedonia.

The first mini-documentary focuses on gender balance in the army and in security services. Gender sensitivity and gender responsiveness are, inter-alia, the guiding principles in the implementation of the Intelligence and Security Sector Reform Programme in North Macedonia.
In the past most senior managerial positions belonged to men, and women were administrators or held managerial positions in support of the intelligence work cycle.
Since 2018 significant progress regarding gender equality has been made within this sector. Watch this short video to find out more.

Additional mini-documentaries are available. They focus on the:

Civilian and democratic oversight over the intelligence and security sector

The security of classified information

The Council for Civil Oversight of Interception of Communications

The judicial training for trainers process

Women in the Special Forces

How can the security-intelligence sector be "opened up" to the public?

The Integrity of (New) Employees in the Ministry of Interior on Test

Digitalization of the system of issuing special investigative measures (SIM) orders in North Macedonia

Will the Integrity Plan improve the rating of the Police in North Macedonia?

The oversight role of the ombudsman institutions in North Macedonia

Who will protect the Ombudsperson's right to oversee the work of the police sector and intelligence services in North Macedonia?

Getting closer to being able to verify if the state is illegally wiretapping citizens

Opening of a shielded room : why is it important?

North Macedonia begins a new chapter in the reform of the security and intelligence sector under DCAF partnership and with the support of the European Union, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The DCAF Director officially signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Assembly of North Macedonia, and Cooperation Agreements with the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors and with the Operational Technical Agency.

Watch this mini-documentary to find out more.

DCAF has launched a tendering process to select a supplier for procurement of IT equipment (hardware and software) for the Forensic Department of the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia.

The subject of this tendering process is supply, delivery, installation, testing of the IT equipment and maintenance during the warranty period.

The equipment will be used for establishing medium size DNA laboratory - with 50,000 to 500,000 specimens - for running Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) for storing, processing and automated exchange of biometric (DNA) data on international level.

The required IT equipment will comprise the following: rack cabinet with UPS and accessories; rack servers; rackmount backup storage; network switches; laptops; workstations; operating systems for servers and computers; anti-virus software and other related IT equipment and software.

The call for expression of interest is now closed. The tender dossier was sent to all companies that expressed interest and fulfilled the call for expression of interest requirements.

Interview with the Director of Intelligence Agency of North Macedonia

Interview with the Director of Operational-Technical Agency (OTA) of North Macedonia