The Covid-19 pandemic is not only a health challenge. In the MENA region, against the backdrop of protracted conflicts, instability, and an overall deterioration in socio-economic conditions, the coronavirus crisis adds another layer of vulnerability and has already had long-lasting repercussions on human security across the region.

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 evolution has implications on any attempts to usher in short-term and interim security arrangements as well as longer-term security sector reform (SSR) efforts.

Following the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak in January 2011, and more markedly after the July 2013 ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s military assumed a new role in national politics.

The Palestinian legal framework of the security forces has gaps that need to be addressed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). These gaps exist due to the absence of a comprehensive legal framework governing the work of the Palestinian security forces. In specific, there is no legal text regulating the …

Understanding power and influence shifts in Egypt’s civil-military relations requires an analysis of societal dynamics and of loyalties in the officer corps. The ability to build and demonstrate support from a societal constituency, or an important faction in the officer corps, is a source of leverage for both political and …

In order to implement an effective security strategy plan in the Governorate of Hebron, it is necessary for security providers be able to identify the reasons for insecurity, and the lack of community safety. For this reason, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF), in …

The U.S. provides Egypt with roughly $1.3 billion in security assistance annually, primarily in the form of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants. Since 2011, U.S. security assistance has come under increasing criticism. This paper analyzes U.S.-Egypt security cooperation in light of post-2011 developments. Following an overview of U.S. assistance, subsequent sections analyze the legal framework and relevant legislation, particularly in …

In Palestine, good financial oversight of the security sector is crucial to enhancing accountability of the security forces, and guarding against corruption. However currently, financial oversight institutions and departments do not follow unified processes. Instead, these bodies have developed their own procedures and methods for implementing financial oversight. This can potentially open up opportunities for mismanagement and corruption. It also makes oversight of security forces by the Palestinian State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB - the Palestinian independent state audit institution) difficult and time consuming. In 2013, DCAF and SAACB set about to assess the problems of financial oversight in Palestine, and the training needs of those working in financial oversight institutions. Together they formed a task force of representatives from key financial institutions that conducted several meetings and discussions. As a result, it identified a number of areas in which technical support needs to be provided to financial staffers in order to improve their capacities. DCAF and SAACB then set about addressing these findings though trainings, the supply of international expertise and legislative assistance. The findings are detailed in Strengthening Financial Oversight Institutions in the Palestinian Security Sector: A Training Needs Assessment, which is currently available in English and Arabic.

In order to implement an effective security strategy plan in the Governorate of Jenin, it is necessary for security providers be able to identify the reasons for insecurity and lack of community safety. As a result, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF), in collaboration …

In the summer of 2014, Israel launched Operation “Protective Edge” in the Gaza Strip. During the Operation, over 2,200 Palestinians were killed and more than 70 Israelis. The fighting also caused significant damage to the local criminal justice infrastructure and, consequently, the ability of security providers to uphold the rule …