22 October 2015
knowledge and awareness of the OSCE Code of
Conduct.
DCAF’s Contribution to Switzerland’s
OSCE Chairmanship in Office
DCAF cooperates with the OSCE secretariat,
institutions and field operations on security
sector governance programming across a
number of domains. Key focus areas include
parliaments, ombuds institutions, gender, law
enforcement reform, border security, defence
reform, policy analysis and crisis management.
The long-standing relationship with OSCE
institutions and field operations led to the
signature of a strategic partnership agreement
with the OSCE in 2006. The Centre has since
broadened this relationship in view of both
Switzerland’s Chairmanship in Office (CiO) and
Switzerland’s own OSCE-wide 2014 priorities.
Strategic Partnership with CH CiO 2014
For the CiO, Switzerland entered into a specific
strategic partnership with DCAF across a range
of security sector governance activities. With
priorities developed from 2012 onwards, DCAF
and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFAE) signed a strategic partnership
framework agreement and a service contract
with the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC) (via Ost-Zusammenarbeit).
1) Fostering Security and Stability
1.2. Police Ethics and Integrity - Capacity
Building in the Framework of the Police
Integrity Building Programme (PIBP)
DCAF and the OSCE have closely cooperated in
Southeast Europe to promote the values of
democratic policing and police integrity. The
Police Integrity Building Programme (PIBP)
supports the introduction and development of
integrity policies and mechanisms across police
services in the region, fosters greater
transparency within police services, incorporates
anti-corruption
mechanisms
within
police
structures, and builds public confidence in police
services. Future activities comprise:
 Co-organisation of a regional conference on police
integrity and internal control with the OSCE
 Co-organisation of workshops on police integrity for
police officials and educators in Montenegro with the
OSCE Mission to Montenegro
 Organisation of workshops in the region on police
integrity on national request
DCAF’s approach to police integrity building is
embedded within the Centre’s broader focus on
anti-corruption and integrity policies.
1.3.
Police Cooperation & Integrated
Border Management
DCAF is one of the largest providers of regional
advisory and capacity building assistance
programming in the field of police and border
police reform in Southeast Europe and manages
SDC’s
outsourced
cross-border
police
cooperation regional assistance programme.
Western Balkans
The DCAF Border Security Programme (BSP)
1.1. Fostering Parliamentary Oversight of the
Security Sector: Bilateral Support to
Parliamentary Security-, Defence-, and
Intelligence Oversight Committees
DCAF addresses capacity gaps at the
parliamentary level by offering customized
knowledge-transfer activities and to facilitate
regional dialogue between parliaments on
different aspects of security policy and security
sector governance. DCAF also promotes
The BSP focuses on the implementation of the
Regional Action Plan 2012–2015, developed and
endorsed in 2012 by the Ministries of Interior of
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia,
Montenegro, and Serbia. Croatia and Slovenia
actively support the implementation of the Action
Plan, providing expertise and supporting
operational cooperation.
Regular strategic steering and monitoring issues
are addressed at the level of heads of national
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border police, convening twice a year to perform
regular oversight, evaluation of results, and
monitor progress. Annual ministerial conferences
provide political guidelines and support
implementation. The programme supports the
consolidation of rule of law at a regional level
and consolidates good governance of law
enforcement and border security programming.
The programme contributes to the development
of a comprehensive regional response to threats
of organised and cross-border crime, including
criminal aspects of irregular migration challenges
in the Western Balkan region. BSP activities at
expert and strategic level are implemented in
three main programme areas, as determined by
the Regional Action Plan 2013-2015:
a) Police Education and Training
b) Introducing European Standards and Best
Practice in Border Policing
c) Common and Coordinated Measures
Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast
Europe
DCAF supports the implementation of the Police
Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe
(PCC SEE). This regional treaty provides the
basis for the development of regional operational
police cooperation in line with European best
practice.
DCAF
Ljubljana
provides
the
Convention with its Secretariat. The Convention
calls for two annual meetings of Interior Ministers
from the nine contracting parties.
Support to OSCE SPMU and TNT
During 2015, ISSAT reinforced the SPMU and
Transnational Threats (TNT) in undertaking
assessments of its field operations in SouthEastern Europe to refine and enhance their
assessment methodology.
Southern Caucasus
1.4. Armenia – Cooperation with OSCE Office
in Yerevan (OiY)
Following DCAF’s initial cooperation in 2012,
national demand for capacity development
activities on parliamentary, defence and law
enforcement reform issues has remained high.
Capacity building and awareness raising events
took place throughout 2013 and 2014 with
roundtables, training events and parliamentary
hearings for parliamentarians, their staff, defence
and law enforcement agencies, government
institutions, and civil society organisations.
Central Asia
1.5. Kyrgyzstan – Cooperation with OSCE
Centre in Bishkek
Between 2012-2015 DCAF coordinated with
OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the French Embassy in
Kyrgyzstan and the Prime Minister’s Office
(OPM) to establish a ‘Situation Room’ for crisis
management operations situated in the OPM
itself. The Project, along with t other supporting
activities, was incorporated into Kyrgyzstan’s
overall 2012 national defence concept work plan.
1.6.
Integrated Border Management
In 2011/12 DCAF initiated a needs analysis of
the Central Asian states with respect to border
security at national and regional levels. In 2013,
facilitated by the framework agreement with the
SDC, formal cooperation invitations – through
the Swiss Mission to the OSCE in Vienna – were
issued to the five Central Asian Republics to
establish a concrete action plan built on the
successful model of DCAF’s border security
programme in the Western Balkans.
1.7. Border Security Cooperation with BMSC
In January 2013 DCAF held advanced
discussions with OSCE Transnational Threats
Team (TNT) and the management of the OSCE
Border Management Staff College (BMSC) to
create an additional twelve month training course
at BMSC, open to all OSCE nations. DCAF, the
OSCE (TNT) and the BMSC signed an MoU and
a Copyright Agreement to regulate the sharing
and subsequent use of relevant DCAF
developed teaching material in a new OSCEwide BMSC Advanced Distant Learning Course
for mid-level border security personnel. The
course underwent development throughout 2013
and was launched at BMSC Dushanbe in 2014.
Strengthening
of
Security
Sector
Governance (see also sections 3.1. and 3.2.)
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1.8. Code of Conduct on Politico-Military
Aspects of Security
On the initiative of the Swiss OSCE Mission in
Vienna, Director DCAF addressed the Forum for
Security Cooperation (FSC) on the issue of the
th
CoC on 11 July 2012. DCAF also addressed
the FSC at the second meeting on the CoC in
July 2013. In September 2013, DCAF also
participated in a Regional Conference on the
Code of Conduct for the Mediterranean, and a
conference in Armenia in October 2014 reflecting
the twentieth anniversary of the CoC.
1.9.
OSCE and the Montreux Document on
Private Military and Security Companies
st
On 21 November 2013 the Secretary General
OSCE Lamberto Zannier expressed support for
the
Montreux
Document
on
‘Pertinent
International Obligations and Good Practices for
States Related to Operations of Private Military
and Security Companies during Armed Conflict’.
The letter identified how the OSCE Secretariat,
institutions and field presences will examine and
seek to implement the described practices of the
Montreux Document in order to ensure the
proper oversight of private security companies.
1.10.
Private Security Scoping Study
During 2015, DCAF will conduct a Scoping Study
examining the current gap in knowledge related
to procurement and contracting policies as well
as the need to understand challenges and share
good practices in this area. Shaped by
discussions with the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna
and Switzerland’s Delegation to the OSCE, the
study will be concluded by the end of 2015.
2) Improving People’s Lives
Implementation of Commitments in the
Human Dimension
2.1.
Cooperation with ODIHR on Ombuds
Institutions
and
Human
Rights
and
Fundamental Freedoms of Armed Services
Personnel: Mapping Study
In cooperation with OSCE/ODIHR, DCAF
previously published the ‘Handbook on Human
Rights of Armed Forces Personnel’ now
translated and launched in OSCE participating
states. OSCE offices have adopted and
translated the handbook on their own and DCAF
cooperates with ODIHR and participating States
on various capacity development programmes.
The 2015 mapping study of ombuds-institutions
for armed forces examines different approaches
and methods used by various ombudsman
institutions for the armed forces in OSCE
participating States. The project seeks to:
a) Identify clarify strengths and weaknesses of
ombuds-institutions for the armed forces in OSCE
Participating states
b) Share good practices among ombuds-institutions.
c) Further promote the important role of ombudsinstitutions in OSCE participating states
Within OSCE participating states, the target
audience of the project includes ombudsinstitutions, armed forces and other security
sector actors, policy makers (including ministries
of defence), parliaments and civil society groups
(including
armed
forces
associations).
Preliminary findings were presented at the FSC
in October 2013.
2.2. Cooperation with ODIHR and the OSCE
Gender Section on Gender and Security
Sector Governance: Guidance Notes
In 2013 DCAF developed a series of practiceoriented guidance documents to provide
practitioners and policymakers with information
on key gender issues, entry points, gender
mainstreaming strategies and existing good
practice. The series looks at:
• integrating gender into internal oversight within the
police
• integrating gender into internal oversight within the
armed forces
• integrating gender into oversight of the police and
armed forces by Ombuds institutions and national
human rights institutions
An expert workshop on “Integrating gender into
internal oversight of the security sector” was held
in November 2013 in Vienna, bringing together
the project Advisory Council and others.
Ambassador Miroslava Beham, the OSCE’s
Senior Gender Adviser, opened the workshop.
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The Notes were published in May 2014 and
translated into French, Montenegrin and
Russian. Follow-on work will feature:


Cooperation with ODIHR and/or the OSCE Gender
Section on a launch event for the guidance notes
for OSCE delegations in Vienna
Supporting further ODIHR workshops with
parliamentarians, oversight bodies and/or security
sector officials on integrating gender in security
sector oversight.
3) Strengthening OSCE’s Capacity to Act
Further Developing the OSCE
3.1. Annual ‘Focus’ Seminar
Between 2012-2015, the annual ‘Focus OSCE’
meeting is employed in the service of the CiO.
‘Focus Seminar 2012’ was themed ‘On the Road
to Helsinki +40: Devising a common response to
the security challenges of the OSCE region in
2015 and beyond’, considering attitudes towards
various options for Switzerland’s CiO.
‘Focus Seminar 2013’ was themed ‘Creating a
Security Community for the Benefit of Everyone’,
and was structured to promote the maximum
possible number of inputs to the CiO Task Force.
‘Focus Seminar 2014’ was themed ‘Ukraine and
European Security: Prospects for the Future’ and
included the participation of the OSCE
Secretary- General.
Focus 2015, held with GCSP, was themed
‘Europe in Crisis: Renewed Relevance of the
OSCE?’”
3.2. Mapping Study on the Role of the OSCE
in Security Sector Governance and Reform
In preparation for the 2014 CiO, and supported
by the OSCE Secretary-General, Switzerland
mandated DCAF to conduct a study on the role
of the OSCE in security sector governance and
reform
(SSG/R)
aimed
at:
enhancing
understanding of the extensive engagement of
the OSCE in SSG/R; identify its comparative
advantages; and propose ways to enhance
programming coherence. The report was
submitted in December 2013 and distributed as
an official document of the Chairmanship
(CIO.GAL/18/14) in January 2014.
The CiO consulted with OSCE Executive
Structures and participating States on follow-up
to the report’s recommendations before its
presentation to the OSCE Security Committee in
February 2014. Based on the Study’s results the
OSCE decided to establish an Assistant Project
Officer P1 position (co-funded by Switzerland
and Slovakia) responsible for implementing
several of the Study’s recommendations.
The OSCE then held a joint UN-OSCE high-level
conference
on
‘Strengthening
OSCE-UN
Cooperation on SSR’ in July 2014. DCAF followup comprised conceptual and other support to
the joint event and a mandate for assistance in::


Developing relevant internal OSCE SSG/R
guidance
Developing an implementation concept for key
recommendations inc. establishment of a Group of
Friends and development of an
 internal coordination mechanism
In April 2015 the Serbian CiO convened a
conference to discuss strategies for support to
SSG/R processes from an OSCE-wide
perspective with an expert DCAF contribution.
DCAF staff then facilitated a follow-on one-day
workshop in Belgrade for SSG/R focal points to
review the zero drafts of OSCE guidelines on
SSG/R.
3.3. Regular Session of the
Parliamentary Assembly in Geneva
OSCE
DCAF assisted the set-up of the OSCE PA
rd th
session in Geneva on 3 -5 October 2014. The
meeting focused on ‘New Security Challenges:
the Role of Parliaments’ and was addressed by
Federal President and F oreign
Minister
of
Switzerland, Mr. Didier Burkhalter, Chairman in
Office of the OSCE. The event featured sessions
on a variety of issues, including:


The Role of the OSCE in Security Sector Reform &
Security Sector Governance
The Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects
of Security
DCAF published the event proceedings in
summer 2015.
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