Capacity building can be a highly effective tool to enable organisations – from local communities and administrations to central governments, including institutions of the justice system – to improve sustainable human development (“enhancing people’s choices”) but also human rights, democracy and justice.

Since 1990, I have been responsible for the design, preparation, management or supervision (and in some instances evaluation) of more than 75 projects, starting with the Highland Integrated Rural Development project (“Phalavek Project") in the opium-growing areas of Laos, to alternative development projects in Pakistan and Afghanistan, a Pakistan/Iran cross-border narcotics law enforcement project, projects on corruption and organised crime in Europe, projects on money laundering in Russia and Ukraine, and finally numerous country-specific, regional and global projects on cybercrime and electronic evidence (see examples below). On the way, I have been able to mobilise over EUR 120 million in extra-budgetary resources for such projects.

Simply speaking, “capacity building” is about the strengthening of capacities in support of a process of change or of reform. A prerequisite for a successful capacity building project is that the organisations to be supported have determined the direction and objectives of the process of change. 

Some time ago, I put this concept on paper with respect to capacity building on cybercrime. It has proven to work and has guided the work of the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) ever since.

Conclusion: Capacity building works and makes a difference!