© IHEID
The Geneva Centre for the Democratic
Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) 2016
DCAF is one of the world’s leading organizations in the area of security sector reform (SSR) and security sector
governance (SSG). The Centre was founded in October 2000 on the initiative of the Swiss government
Security sector reform (SSR)
SSR is the political and technical process of improving state and
human security by making security provision, management, and
oversight more effective and accountable, within a framework
of civilian control, rule of law, and respect for human rights.
The goal of SSR is to apply the principles of good governance to
security institutions.
SSR is recognized as an essential peacebuilding tool and a means
to help prevent conflict, strengthen rule of law, and establish
a conducive environment for political, social, and economic
development.
DCAF’s core services
BB Strategic advice to governments and international
organizations on the development of SSR and SSG policies
BB Practical field support and technical assistance in the
implementation of SSR and SSG policies and programmes
BB Assessment, design, monitoring, and evaluation of SSR
projects
BB Capacity development and training of personnel
BB Knowledge services and development of knowledge products
and tools for SSR practitioners
DCAF’s staff
BB Total staff: 160
BB Nationalities: 40
BB Women: 60% Men: 40%
DCAF’s funding
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Budget: CHF 35 million
58 % Switzerland
42 % other member states and international organizations
All funding to DCAF is eligible as Official Development
Assistance.
DCAF’s thematic expertise
BB Defence, intelligence, and law enforcement reform
BB Modern border management and developing regional
police / border police cooperation to counter illegal
migration, human trafficking, and cross-border organized
crime
BB Developing local institutional capacities of security sector
management structures such as Ministries of Defence and
Interior
BB Building integrity and fighting corruption in the defence,
law enforcement and justice sectors
BB Incorporating gender equality into security sector policy
development, structures and training curricula
BB Developing security sector oversight and legislative capacity
of parliaments
BB Developing efficient complaint-handling mechanisms for
the security sector; supporting ombuds institutions for the
armed forces to ensure the protection of fundamental rights
and freedoms of armed forces personnel
BB Private security governance and public-private partnerships
in the security sector
BB Cyber security, digital policy and internet governance
DCAF’s divisions
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Operations Southeast Europe
Operations Middle East and North Africa
Operations Sub-Saharan Africa / Gender and SSR
Operations Public-Private Partnerships
International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT)
Research Division
Administration
DCAF’s offices
BB Geneva (HQ)
BB Beirut
BB Brussels
BB Ljubljana
BB Ramallah
BB Tunis
DCAF’s member states (63)
DCAF’s member states by region
Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Canada
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cyprus
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Hungary
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Netherlands
Nigeria
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Senegal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Madagascar
Mali
Malta
Moldova
Mongolia
Switzerland
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Geneva (Canton)
Montenegro
United States
North America
EU/EFTA
3%
DCAF’s countries of operation (50+)
7%
Latin America
3%
14%
3%
Sub-Saharan
Africa
North America
3%
Asia
AfricaThailand 29%
Pantone: 3015 C
C: 100 M: 45 Y: 5 K: 20
R: 0 G: 95 B: 154
Southeast
Europe
Middle East and
North Africa
DCAF’s permanent observers (6)
Pantone: Cool Gray 9 C
C: 3 M: 0 Y: 0 K: 65
R: 121 G: 122 B: 123
9%
Eastern Europe
and Caucasus 14%
47%
Middle East
and North Africa 14%
Cambodia
Chile
47%
EU/EFTA
Kazakhstan
Sub-Saharan
Pantone: 320 C
C: 90 M: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
R: 0 G: 170 B: 190
Asia
9%
Southeast
7%
Europe
14%
Asia
Eastern Europe
Southeast
and
Caucasus 14%
Europe
19%
Latin America 3%
International Organisation of la Francophonie
Middle
East and
Sub-Saharan
Inter-Parliamentary
Union
Eastern Europe 14%
3%
North Africa
Africa
12%
Latin America
and Caucasus 12%
DCAF’s countries of operation by region
Albania
Honduras
Pakistan
Armenia
Kenya
Palestine
Azerbaijan
Kyrgyzstan
Peru
Bangladesh
Jordan
Philippines
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Lebanon
Romania
Bulgaria
Liberia
Senegal
Burkina Faso
Libya
Serbia
Cambodia
Macedonia
Sierra Leone
Costa Rica
Madagascar
Somalia
Croatia
Mali
South Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mexico
Tajikistan
El Salvador
Moldova
Thailand
Gabon
Mongolia
Tunisia
Georgia
Montenegro
Ukraine
Guatemala
Morocco
Yemen
Guinea
Myanmar
Zimbabwe
Guinea-Bissau
Niger
Middle East
and North Africa
Sub-Saharan
Africa
14%
Asia
14%
Southeast
Europe
19%
29%
Latin America
Eastern Europe
and Caucasus 12%
12%
Partner multilateral organizations
Inter-Parliamentary Union
African Union
ECOWAS
Pantone: 320 C
C: 90 M: 0 Y: 30 K: 0
R: 0 G: 170 B: 190
Pantone: 3015 C
C: 100 M: 45 Y: 5 K: 20
R: 0 G: 95 B: 154
Pantone: Cool Gray 9 C
C: 3 M: 0 Y: 0 K: 65
R: 121 G: 122 B: 123
European Union
Internatioinal Organisation
of la Francophonie
NATO
OECD
OSCE
United Nations
For further information about DCAF’s work, visit our websites
www.dcaf.ch
DCAF’s main website
issat.dcaf.ch
DCAF’s International Security Sector
Advisory Team (ISSAT) and its
Community of Practice
www.pccseesecretariat.si
Secretariat of the Police Cooperation
Convention for Southeast Europe
www.dcaf-tfna.org
DCAF’s Trust Fund for Security Sector
Development Assistance in North
Africa
www.marsad.eg
www.marsad.ly
www.marsad.info
www.observatoire-securite.tn
Security sector observatories for Egypt,
Libya, Palestine, and Tunisia
www.gssrtraining.ch
DCAF’s training resources on gender
and SSR
www.icoaf.org
International Conference of Ombuds
Institutions for the Armed Forces
www.mdforum.ch
The Montreux Document Forum
www.dcaf-tunisie.org
DCAF’s SSR assistance programme for
Tunisia
www.securityhumanrightshub.org
DCAF-ICRC Security and Human Rights
Knowledge Hub
www.security-legislation-egypt.info
www.security-legislation.ly
www.legislation-securite.tn
Online databases of security sector
legislation in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.
www.ppps.dcaf.ch
DCAF’s Public-Private Partnerships Hub
ssrbackgrounders.org
SSR Backgrounders
DCAF, Maison de la Paix, Chemin-Eugène-Rigot 2E, PO Box 1360, 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland, T + 41 22 730 94 00, info@dcaf.ch