East Asia Security Sector Governance Network

DCAF takes a unique sub-regional approach to promoting good security sector governance (SSG) and security sector reform (SSR) in the Asia-Pacific region. DCAF has a vision of fostering inter- and intra-regional dialogues, experience-sharing, and cooperation within and between the sub-regions of South, Southeast, and East Asia, in order to improve ongoing and launch new national SSR processes. It has created a network of partner institutions and SSG associates (experts working on security sector-related issues) in all three sub-regions.

These partners are brought together at annual sub-regional and Asia-Pacific regional forums to allow participants to share and learn from each other’s experiences in promoting good SSG through SSR activities. DCAF’s partners in turn assemble a group of security sector representatives and experts in national SSG working group meetings (NWGs). These take place multiple times per year and are meant to foster a dialogue between stakeholders and review the status of good SSG in their respective countries. In these meetings, needs for improvement are defined, and translated into specific SSR activities. These flow back to DCAF, which seeks funding so that such SSR activities and projects can be implemented.

The first East Asia Security Sector Governance Forum was held from 14 to 16 November 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. After two virtual renditions in 2020 and 2021, the 2022 and 2023 forums took place in person again.
The network organizes webinars that are open to the public, and has released several Thematic Briefs as well.