Sweden

Understand to Prevent (U2P) was one of ten lines of development in the Multinational Capability Development Campaign (which consists of mostly NATO and like-minded nations – see also the MCDC website). The U2P line of development sought to elaborate the role that militaries can adopt, in partnership with other governmental departments and civil society, in preventing violent conflict.

The first iteration of meetings (in the last two-year cycle) produced the capstone ‘doctrine’ embodied in the Understand to Prevent Foundation Studies book linked below. Subsequently, the meetings sought to operationalise the doctrine into a more tangible Handbook of tools and process. Most of the military representatives involved came from their national concepts and doctrine development centres, so there was plentiful scope for open and out-of-the box thinking.

• U2P Foundation Studies book – an informative and concise delve into the theory and evidence supporting of prevention of violent conflict;
• The Understand to Prevent concept (short paper).

In January 2016, the U2P Handbook is looked at interoperability with the NATO Comprehensive Operational Planning Directive (COPD), and with NATO CIMIC doctrine and processes.

Further opportunities to trial the Handbook are welcome.

For full access to the U2P Handbook Understand to Prevent: the military contribution to the prevention of violent conflict, updated in 2017, kindly follow the link. 

The Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) requested for ISSAT support in further developing and supplementing the existing mapping of bilateral support to the SSR process, which was completed in June 2015 by ISSAT (see mandate Ukraine Mapping mandate from 01 May 2015). In this regard, ISSAT was requested to expand the mapping to cover additional actors and institutions in the sector, namely multilateral organisations and international/national non-state actors involved in SSR.

In addition, a mapping and synthetization of other SSR assessments was to be concluded. This mapping included a list of ongoing and planned assessments made by the international community (and recently finalized ones) and a summary of the key findings in these assessments.

Finally, ISSAT was requested to support a comprehensive mapping of the Ukrainian security sector. This information will complement the mapping of international initiatives and serve as a basis for the consultations in Ukraine and the final needs assessment of SSR in Ukraine.

ISSAT was requested to support a comprehensive needs-analysis of SSR in Ukraine that is being developed by the Swedish Agencies involved in international support to Security Sector Reform: the FBA, the Swedish Police, the Swedish Prosecution Authority, the Swedish National Courts Administration, the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. The joint analysis was carried out through the Swedish National Contact Group for Security Sector Reform (NCSSR) with shared responsibility in line with respective agencies area of expertise. The needs-analysis was carried out in 3 phases. First, a desk study was performed to map the Ukrainian security sector and all relevant international engagements. Second, consultations in Ukraine were organised to verify and if necessary correct assumptions. A final report was subsequently produced and presented to the Swedish government. This mandate request only covers support to the first phase of the needs-analysis – the desk review. The first phase was expected to be completed by the beginning of August 2015.

The mandate contributed and complemented ongoing assessments and mappings conducted by other ISSAT Governing Board Members. It is noted that parallel processes are also being undertaken by the European Union, Netherlands, and Norway. The process of developing this needs assessment promoted and facilitated more active collaboration, information sharing and improve complementarity of efforts between ISSAT members and the wider international community. In addition, ISSAT was able to draw on the expertise and country experience of DCAF to help complete the mapping and needs-analysis.  

ISSAT supported the Folke Bernadotte Academy with a mapping of the current and planned bilateral country support to justice and security sector reform in Ukraine. This included gathering short analysis of the main findings of any recent or current assessments. The project was conducted as a desk study. 

The current police cooperation with Albania it's  to be completed by March 2015 and the Government of Albania (GoA), through the Minister of Interior (MoI) has requested further support. ISSAT has designed the exisiting cooperation programme and conducted it's review in 2013. Both exercises have been conducted in an effective and professional way, therefore Sweden would like to rely on ISSAT expertise in the design for a 2nd phase of cooperation between Sweden and Albania in the police area. The 2nd phase is supposed to consolidate the current phase achievements in the Community Policing area, and if necessary and in response to the  GoA priorities expand into other police cooperation areas. The current leadership of the MoI has embarked into an ambitious program to increase safety levels and public order in the country and to reform the police service towards higher levels of effectiveness and professionalism. A new cooperation program phase is thus desired to bring the Swedish assistance in line with the new reform needs and the ambitions of the GoA in the field of justice and security.   ISSAT is mandated with the design of this 2nd phase.

Moldova and EU aims to sign the Association Agreement in the summer of 2014, with the intention to make the EU association process irreversible. Important for further process of Moldovan integration to Europe is the Government’s ability to implement current national strategies, laws, reforms and EU standards related to the Association Agreement. Key reform lies under the responsibility of the Moldovan MIA where there is a need to strengthen the strategic management to facilitate above mentioned implementations and reforms.

Moldovan MIA has a broad range of tasks under its responsibility and works closely linked to the Police, combined they employ almost 18, 000 police officers and civilians.

-          Management of migration and asylum issues

-          Fighting organized crime, protection of the safety of society and the national security

-          Fighting the increased cross-border criminality and police corruption

-          Increase of and improvement of the cooperation between the Police and other law enforcement agencies

-          Adjustment to the relevant international and European standards and best practices, etc.