Insights

There’s no doubt that 2021 was a very challenging year. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new levels of insecurity, uncertainty, and restrictions that threatened to derail many ongoing security sector reform processes, especially in fragile states. Overcoming these challenges required resilience, patience, and flexibility on the part of our partners and donors, and our teams themselves. 

Throughout the year we found ways to adapt to maintain support to our partners and help keep their reform and good governance activities on track. As we say goodbye to 2021, we want to remember a few standout moments of the year – our most read and shared on social media.

BLOGS OF THE YEAR

Stop Fixing Women!
Security sector institutions expect women to adapt to discriminatory work environments and to prove their worth in a man’s world. It is not what will make them stay.  Read real solutions that will drive long-term and sustainable institutional transformation.

Winner of the DCAF Young Researcher Award
This new award encourages young African researchers to go beyond traditional thinking about security reform and come up with new ideas for governance models. Fola Aina, the first winner of the award, dedicates his research to the role of vigilantes in delivering peace and security to communities in North Western Nigeria.
 

Climate change is a security issue
Climate change amplifies insecurity in places already made fragile by conflict, poverty, and inequality. More than half of the 15 countries most susceptible to climate risks also host a UN peacekeeping or special political mission. This blog helps show the links between climate change and insecurity. 
 

PUBLICATIONS OF THE YEAR 

Use of police force: A framework to ensure good governance over the use of force
Police forces around the world have been under increased pressure due to the challenges presented by COVID-19, which has in turn lead to greater scrutiny of the use of force. DCAF has worked with police organizations in different regions to create guidance on good governance over the use of force by their officers. It focuses on three main dimensions: rule of law, human resources, and accountability. 
 

Measuring opportunities for women in peace operations (MOWIP)
The MOWIP methodology is a tool used by troop- and police-contributing countries to identify barriers and opportunities to increase women’s meaningful participation in United Nations peace operations. It has already been successfully implemented in Ghana, Zambia, Uruguay, and Senegal.

Exploring armed groups in Libya: perspectives on SSR in a hybrid environment
Libya’s security sector has become virtually unrecognizable from what it was a decade ago, owing to the transformations brought about since the 2011 revolution. This publication explores how these transformations impact the reforms of the security sector in Libya.
 

In 2021, more and more joined us on Twitter and LinkedIn and Youtube. ?Big thumbs up to our 38 000+ followers. 

WHAT YOU LIKED ON TWITTER

Preparing for the Coming Storm: the Security Sector and the Environment
Climate change and environmental degradation are impacting on human security. We organized a global discussion on the climate and security nexus, bringing together experts from the UN, OSCE, the Global Footprint Network and more. Watch the event on YouTube or read the summary report that answers key questions: What are the risks? Where are the sources of resilience? Where are the opportunities for engagement?

WHAT YOU LIKED ON LINKEDIN

E-learning: Security and Justice Governance Reform
Thousands of you were interested in our training on Security and Justice Governance Reform. New dates are regularly available, be sure to register as soon as the course is listed on the website. We also provide many other e-learning courses to help you improve your skills in security sector reform and governance. Training Courses 2021 

WHAT YOU LIKED ON YOUTUBE

Story of Change: Intelligence Reforms in North Macedonia
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 slowly becoming more transparent.  This 30-minute documentary takes you behind the scenes and describes achievements and challenges linked to recently initiated Government-led reforms - a process DCAF has contributed to since early 2018.

We have a lot planned for 2022! Keep up with our activities by following us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. 
Happy New Year!