Security sector reform
Encyclopedia
Security Sector Reform is a concept to reform or rebuild a state's security sector that emerged first in the 1990s in Eastern Europe. It starts where a dysfunctional security sector is unable to provide security
to the state and its people effectively and under democratic principles. Even worse, the security sector can be a source of widespread insecurity by itself. In this respect, an unreformed or misconstructed security sector represents a decisive obstacle to the promotion of sustainable development, democracy and peace. SSR is an operational as well as a normative concept. SSR can be seen as a branch of an increasing international efforts to secure one's human security
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within a framework of democratic governance. In a narrow perspective, the security sector of a country can be seen as the state's security and justice apparatus and the relevant civilian bodies responsible for its management. The concept of SSR is holistic in its approach to the security sector. It states that all the relevant actors and instruments should be included into the process from a dysfunctional security sector to a reformed one. This includes not only the state's forces, but also non-state actors, armed groups as well as the civil society. In this respect, the different country contexts have different implications on the application of SSR. In post-conflict situations, SSR can merely be seen as Security Sector Reconstruction. In transitional and developed countries, the reform aspect is generally more important. In developed countries the focus is on modernization and drives to increase efficiency. SSR is not only integrating relevant security branches, but also linking measures aimed at increasing efficiency and effectiveness of security forces to overriding concerns of democratic governance. Efforts to modernize security forces, e.g. by buying new weapons or reorganize hierarchical structures, would not be considered SSR without ensuring the sector's democratic accountability. SSR-related activities must always be aimed at improving the governance
of the security sector; an approach which is advocated by the right-financing framework.
It is imperative to link each area of engagement because efforts will not succeed unless complementary work is carried out in other areas.
To apply this instruments in a stand-alone manner would not suit the requirements of SSR. Rather, they should be integrated into an overall security sector reform concept. For example, combating SALW is useless until the rule of law is reestablished. Only by integrating all instruments and combine them with democratic oversight can SSR influence the security situation substantially and sustainably and prevent the region from a flare up of the armed conflict.
, security, human rights, and the achievement of long-lasting peace.
Journals
Articles and papers
UN peacekeeping missions conducting SSR
SSR online presentations
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
to the state and its people effectively and under democratic principles. Even worse, the security sector can be a source of widespread insecurity by itself. In this respect, an unreformed or misconstructed security sector represents a decisive obstacle to the promotion of sustainable development, democracy and peace. SSR is an operational as well as a normative concept. SSR can be seen as a branch of an increasing international efforts to secure one's human security
Human security
Human security is an emerging paradigm for understanding global vulnerabilities whose proponents challenge the traditional notion of national security by arguing that the proper referent for security should be the individual rather than the state...
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Country contexts
For a better understanding of the concept, it is important to distinguish between three very different reform environments. SSR is not limited to one specific political situation, but can occur in different country contexts: Post-conflict, in transitional and in developed countries. The most obvious though is SSR in post-conflict settings:Post-conflict situations
Post-conflict environments are characterized by mostly destroyed or dismissed political institutions and widespread insecurity. Security Sector Reform in such a situation can be understood as Security Sector Reconstruction, since the state's monopoly on the use of force and effective and efficient structures need to be rebuilt.Transitional countries
Transitional countries are at a borderline from one political system to another, but no violent long-term conflict has occurred yet. SSR in this environment has to improve the state's performance in the security sector, to rebuild or to reorganize security institutions and sometimes to dissolve non-statutory forces like paramilitary police units. The main aim of SSR in transitional countries is to introduce the principles of democratic governance to the security sector.Developed countries
In developed countries, SSR has mainly the objective of optimizing the security sector, mostly to make it more effective and efficient in the sense of its orientation towards the citizens.Approach
SSR is essentially aimed at the efficient and effective provision of state and human securityHuman security
Human security is an emerging paradigm for understanding global vulnerabilities whose proponents challenge the traditional notion of national security by arguing that the proper referent for security should be the individual rather than the state...
within a framework of democratic governance. In a narrow perspective, the security sector of a country can be seen as the state's security and justice apparatus and the relevant civilian bodies responsible for its management. The concept of SSR is holistic in its approach to the security sector. It states that all the relevant actors and instruments should be included into the process from a dysfunctional security sector to a reformed one. This includes not only the state's forces, but also non-state actors, armed groups as well as the civil society. In this respect, the different country contexts have different implications on the application of SSR. In post-conflict situations, SSR can merely be seen as Security Sector Reconstruction. In transitional and developed countries, the reform aspect is generally more important. In developed countries the focus is on modernization and drives to increase efficiency. SSR is not only integrating relevant security branches, but also linking measures aimed at increasing efficiency and effectiveness of security forces to overriding concerns of democratic governance. Efforts to modernize security forces, e.g. by buying new weapons or reorganize hierarchical structures, would not be considered SSR without ensuring the sector's democratic accountability. SSR-related activities must always be aimed at improving the governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
of the security sector; an approach which is advocated by the right-financing framework.
Instruments
Basic instruments of SSR are:- Defence reform
- Police reform
- Intelligence reform
- Judicial reformJudicial ReformJudicial reform is the complete or partial political reform of a country's judiciary. Judicial reform is often done as a part of wider reform of the countrys political system or a legal reform....
- Prison reformPrison reformPrison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
- Right-financingRight-financingThe concept of right-financing was coined by English political economist Dr. Peter Middlebrook to highlight the importance of adopting the appropriate policy, institutional and financial support mechanisms to maximize sustainable returns on both public and private investments over time...
/Right-sizing - Measures aimed at strengthening civilian management and democratic accountability of the security apparatus.
It is imperative to link each area of engagement because efforts will not succeed unless complementary work is carried out in other areas.
Post-conflict SSR
In post-conflict peacebuilding, SSR is confronted with a unique set of challenges which are distinguished from the other contexts. Typical additional SSR instruments in post-conflict situations are:- Disarmament, Demobilization and ReintegrationDisarmament, Demobilization and ReintegrationDisarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration is an applied strategy for executing successful peacekeeping operations, and is generally the strategy employed by all UN Peacekeeping Operations...
(DDR) of former combatants, including child and female soldiers - Combating Small ArmsSmall armsSmall arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
and Light Weapons (SALWSALWSALW is an acronym, meaning Small Arms and Light Weapons, a term used in arms control protocols to refer to two main classes of weapons:...
) - Transitional JusticeTransitional justiceTransitional justice generally refers to a range of approaches that states may use to address past human rights violations and includes both judicial and non-judicial approaches. They include series of actions or policies and their resulting institutions, which may be enacted at a point of...
- Strengthening the rule of lawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
- DeminingDeminingDemining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area, while minesweeping describes the act of detecting of mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.Minesweepers use many tools in order to accomplish...
- Fighting trafficking in human beings, weapons and drugs
- Good practices for the security sector
To apply this instruments in a stand-alone manner would not suit the requirements of SSR. Rather, they should be integrated into an overall security sector reform concept. For example, combating SALW is useless until the rule of law is reestablished. Only by integrating all instruments and combine them with democratic oversight can SSR influence the security situation substantially and sustainably and prevent the region from a flare up of the armed conflict.
Effect
Although SSR is still an evolving and contested concept, and lessons learned from practical experience are still scarce, it has emerged as a key concept which is increasingly accepted. SSR is a precondition for good governanceGood governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
, security, human rights, and the achievement of long-lasting peace.
See also
- Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed ForcesGeneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces-Mission:The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces is one of the world’s leading institutions in the areas of security sector reform and security sector governance...
- International securityInternational securityInternational security consists of the measures taken by nations and international organizations, such as the United Nations, to ensure mutual survival and safety. These measures include military action and diplomatic agreements such as treaties and conventions. International and national security...
- National securityNational securityNational security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
Further reading
Books- OECD-DAC Handbook on Security Sector Reform - Supporting Security and Justice, OECD-DAC.
- Fitz-Gerald, Ann (2003): Providing Security for the People: Security Sector Reform in Africa, GFN-SSR
- Schnabel, A. and Ehrhardt, H. (2006): Security Sector Reform and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding. ISBN 92-808-1109-6
- Hänggi, H. and Bryden, A. (2004) Reform and Reconstruction of the Security Sector. ISBN 3-8258-7770-1
Journals
Articles and papers
- A Beginner’s Guide to Security Sector Reform
- A monthly newsletter on Security Sector Reform
- Report on the Security Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean
- Securing the Future: A Primer on Security Sector Reform in Conflict Countries
- Understanding and supporting security sector reform (DFID)
- Security-sector reform: development breakthrough or institutional engineering? by C Smith. Conflict Security Development, vol. 1, issue 1, pp.5-19.
- Africa and the Challenges of Security Sector Reform by Rocklyn Williams
- Donor Perspective on Security Sector Reform as a Governance Issue by R Evans
- Security sector reform depends on national will and capacity, UN report says
- Security Sector Evolution: Understanding & Influencing How Security Sector Institutions Change by Volha Piotukh & Peter Wilson
- The Development-Security Nexus and Security Sector Reform by Dr Michela Telatin
External links
Organisations- International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ)
- DCAF - Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces
- ISSAT - International Security Sector Advisory Team
- Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR)
- Folke Bernadotte Academy
- Security Sector Reform and Governance - DAC Guidelines, OECD (the only guidelines from an international organization available at this time)
- Justice and Security Sector Reform (UNDP)
- Marsad - the Palestinian Security Sector Observatory
UN peacekeeping missions conducting SSR
- UNOMSIL United Nations Observer Mission to Sierra Leone
- UNMIK United Nations Mission to Kosovo
- MINUSTAH United Nations Stabilization Mission to Haiti
SSR online presentations