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Since the 1990s, internationally-supported peacebuilding interventions have become increasingly prominent. Activities focusing on rule of law and security institutions are a key component of this agenda. Despite increasing calls for more rigorous analysis of the impact of peacebuilding interventions, conceptual advances have been limited. There is little clarity on what is working, what is not, and why. This SSR Paper seeks to address this gap by mapping relevant approaches and methodologies to measuring impact. It examines how international actors have approached these questions in relation to support to rule of law and security institutions in complex peacebuilding environments. Most significantly, the paper demonstrates that measuring impact is not only feasible but necessary in order to maximise the effectiveness of major international investments in this field.
This book sets out to break down and identify positive associations between Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR). Drawing on case studies from selected post-conflict settings, the book demonstrates the potential and reality of improved collaboration between both endeavors. Enhanced cooperation could avoid negative outcomes, such as former combatants dropping out of programs, trust undermined in security institutions, and the creation of security vacuums that jeopardize the safety of individuals and communities. A central claim of the book is that programs must be responsive to the needs and interests of different national actors. Without understanding the dynamic political processes that shape the origins, parameters, and outcomes of both processes, DDR and SSR may address security deficits, but will be unfit to support sustainable transitions towards national recovery and development. (Series: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces [DCAF])
The humanitarian crises caused by civil conflicts and wars in Africa are too great in scope for an adequate and effective continental response. The founding of the African Union and the drafting of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine, the basis for collective action against genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity makes this a critical time to reflect on how best to address regional conflicts. This book responds to new regional conflicts over health, water, land and food security in the world's poorest, most socially fragmented continent. The work assesses African regional security arrangements and provides new policy recommendations for the future.
While disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR) have become integral statebuilding tools in post-conflict states, the existing empirical literature examining their relationship has focused on supply-side considerations related to the programming of both processes. In practice, though, DDR and SSR are implemented in the wider context of war-to-peace transitions where the state is attempting to establish a monopoly over the use of force and legitimize itself in the eyes of domestic and international communities. This paper therefore assumes that to identify opportunities and constraints for establishing closer practical linkages between DDR and SSR it is important to take the local politics into consideration. It examines two past externally driven peacebuilding interventions in West Africa, namely Liberia and Sierra Leone, featuring cases in which the central state had essentially fragmented or collapsed. Through this comparative analysis, the paper aims to provide a stepping-stone for future studies examining demand-side considerations of DDR and SSR in post-conflict contexts.
Security sector reform (SSR) and mine action share a strong common conceptual basis, which draws from a shared understanding of security. They both reflect a conceptualization of security that is not limited to the level of the state, but takes into account security threats and needs at societal and individual levels. This common basis provides opportunities for synergies between SSR and mine action. However, empirical evidence demonstrates that the strong conceptual basis is not fully reflected in concrete activities, and the linkages remain limited and underexplored. Despite this gap, there are positive examples showing the potential for synergies between SSR and mine action. Ultimately, this paper maintains that the concept of human security provides a comprehensive framework which can bridge the differences and open broader opportunities for cooperation, which in turn will increase the impact of interventions in SSR and mine action.
This text brings together expert practitioners and scholars in African politics, law, and conflict and peacebuilding to examine the expanding international efforts to promote rule of law in countries emerging from violent conflict, focusing specifically upon experiences in Africa.
Intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) play a crucial role in security sector reform and governance (SSR/G). In virtually all instances of recent and current SSR programme delivery, IGOs have either led the SSR effort or supported the lead provided by other actors. How this role is played is of vital importance for the prospects of fostering durable security and development in a wide range of countries. This volume looks at a selection of organisations that have been in the forefront of SSR activity or that have the potential for significantly developing their SSR agendas in the future. These IGOs are the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Union (EU), ...
This book examines the evolution, impact, and future prospects of the Security Sector Reform (SSR) model in conflict-affected countries in the context of the wider debate over the liberal peace project. Since its emergence as a concept in the late 1990s, SSR has represented a paradigm shift in security assistance, from the realist, regime-centric, train-and-equip approach of the Cold War to a new liberal, holistic and people-centred model. The rapid rise of this model, however, belied its rather meagre impact on the ground. This book critically examines the concept and its record of achievement over the past two decades, putting it into the broader context of peace-building and state-buildin...
"Reforming the intelligence agencies is essential when a state transitions from authoritarianism to democracy. But what kinds of reforms matter, how do we know when there has been transformation, and how and where do authoritarian legacies persist? Sofia Tzamarelou conducts a comparative examination of three cases, the democratic transitions of Portugal, Greece, and Spain during the 1970s. She draws important conclusions about how to ensure thorough reform and what happens when intelligence democratization is incomplete. She does this through the lens of five Security Sector Reform (SSR) indicators: Lustration, Control & Oversight, Collection, Recruitment, and Civil Society. Although these three European countries started their transition around the same time, they present significantly different results. Legacies of the past and legacy personnel emerge as the main barriers to reform. Other important findings are the relationship between consumers and producers of intelligence and the role of civil society. The study is unique due to the source material used, the countries studied, and its comparative framework for the study of intelligence democratization"--