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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 12:22 pm
Time: 12:22 pm
Results for southern african regional police chiefs coordinati
1 results foundAuthor: Fernandez, Lovell Title: Review of the ISS Project on Terrorism, Money Laundering, Organised Crime and Corruption Summary: Executive Summary In the period from 2004 to 2006, the Norwegian government funded the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) to carry out a project, the aim of which was to “enhance the capacity of Southern African states to counter terrorism, money laundering, organised crime and corruption”. By conducting research within these four project areas and disseminating the research findings to key role players in the sub-region, the project was expected to help develop the required legislative framework within these areas. ISS is a non-governmental organisation concentrating on applied research and this particular project was run by the ISS office in Cape Town. The Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria commissioned a review of the ISS project in October 2007, at the request of the ISS office in Cape Town. The overall objective of the review was to assess “the implementation and results of the project in order to determine its relevance, efficiency, and impact”. The methodological framework for the review was to a large extent based upon the method of outcome mapping, acknowledging the challenges with regards to establishing causal links from the research developed by the ISS and the actual enhanced capacity of the Southern African states and thereby the development of legislation. The project was implemented more or less according to plan. Some difficulties were encountered, such as initial resistance towards the ISS as an NGO working on issues which were seen as governmental matters and the fact that the political situation in some of the Southern African states did not allow for any legislative improvements. Tools to ensure the quality of the publications were developed and instruments for planning and reporting were put in place, and these became more refined as the project developed. The performance of the project was monitored regularly by the head of the ISS office, providing the Norwegian government with semi-annual progress reports where its activities were measured against the planned deliverables. By the end of 2006, the ISS had met its deliverables, sometimes even exceeding its targets, with the exception of some main deliverables such as a monograph on terrorism. The progress reports, however, provide reasonable explanations as to why these were not delivered according to plan. It is difficult to determine to what extent the project did actually enhance the capacity of Southern African states, although there are several examples as to how the ISS has contributed with relevant research and updated information pertaining to the issues in question. The component addressing terrorism was perhaps the component which made the least progress, much due to its difficulties in approaching the governments on such a sensitive issue. And although the practical implementation of policies and legislation was relatively slow, the ISS has carried out several research activities targeting both the media and civil society. Money laundering saw more progress in terms of legislation being prepared in various SADC countries. Through close collaboration with the Eastern and Southern African Anti Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), the ISS helped create awareness with regards to the need for such legislation. Similarly, the third component which dealt with organised crime benefited to a large extent from its co-operation with the Palermo Group, consisting of senior government officials with the mandate to implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. As the ISS provided comparative legislative analysis to this group, ten of the fourteen countries within the sub-region had ratified the Convention by the end of 2006. The ISS produced a substantial amount of research and handbooks within the area of corruption, although these publications could have been used more efficiently. Some progress was made with regards to the ratification and implementation of the SADC Protocol against Corruption, where the collaboration with the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-ordinating Organisation (SARPCCO) was key. At the time the project was initiated, all four components were seen as relevant to the human security of the people living in Southern Africa. The events of 9/11, coupled with the increased incidence of money laundering, organised crime and corruption, prompted the need to address these issues within the sub-regional context. At present, the weight given to each component might have changed slightly, for instance, making domestic terrorism a more genuine threat than international terrorism. The project was very efficient in the sense that it produced most, and sometimes more, of the planned deliverables within the time-frame. The results coming out of all the round-table discussions and seminars that were held could be questioned as it is difficult to establish how these plentiful activities have targeted relevant stakeholders and to what extent the participants at these events have actually applied the ISS research in their work. Nevertheless, through its research and dissemination of findings, the ISS has contributed to the passing of legislation in the areas of terrorism, money laundering, organised crime and corruption. Whether this again will impact on the actual crime rates within these particular areas remains to be seen. Among the key lessons learned is the need to establish close working relationships with role players in these thematic areas. Through its network of inter-governmental bodies, as well as civil society, the ISS has accomplished more than would be possible through just individual contacts. The recommendations directed towards the ISS include the need to develop a communication strategy in order to take a comprehensive look at its dissemination practices. What is also recommended is that the ISS keep a clear profile as a non-governmental organisation focusing on applied research. Providing training should therefore not be seen as a central task, but rather let the researchers keep on doing what they are best at doing. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in Pretoria are particularly keen to use ISS input at its own seminars and to participate at seminars held by the ISS, as well as using its research as input in its own policy development. The actual ISS publications could probably be used even more actively though, simply by reading them and thereby applying them directly. Notwithstanding its increased support to the ISS over the years, The Ministry would need to exercise care that it does not depend too heavily on the ISS, but that it keeps an open mind and be receptive to similar research being conducted by other institutions in the region. The recommendation to the Norwegian government would therefore be that it balances its collaboration with the ISS carefully. Details: Olso, Norway: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, 2007. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 18. 2019 at: https://norad.no/en/toolspublications/publications/2009/review-of-the-iss-project-on-terrorism-money-laundering-organised-crime-and-corruption/ Year: 2007 Country: International URL: https://norad.no/globalassets/import-2162015-80434-am/www.norad.no-ny/filarkiv/vedlegg-til-publikasjoner/final-report---review-of-iss-project-_2_.pdf Shelf Number: 154242 Keywords: Africa Anti-Money Laundering Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime Corruption Counter-Terrorism Countering Violent Extremism ESAAMLG Institute for Security Studies Money Laundering Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Organized Crime Project Evaluation Southern African Regional Police Chiefs CoordinatiTerrorism |