Resources
1. Centre for Security Governance Publications
A list of our key publications, including the CSG Papers, SSR 2.0 Brief, and conference/eSeminar reports.
2. Key SSR Organizations
The SSR Resource Centre has compiled a list of SSR organizations to help you familiarize yourself with key players in the field.
3. Key SSR Documents
Looking for must-reads in SSR? The SSR Resource Centre has compiled a list of key SSR documents to help get you started.
4. Training Toolkits
Want to learn more about training and capacity building in the field of SSR? Here you will find a collection of toolkits for SSR practitioners.
5. Top 10 SSR New Publications
Here you will find our document database of key new SSR publications! We aim to highlight innovative research and resources on SSR in this document database.
1. Centre for Security Governance Publications
A list of our key publications, including the CSG Papers, SSR 2.0 Brief, CSG Insights, eSeminar Primer/Summary, as well as previous series; SSR Issue Papers and SSR Monitor.
Current publications series
The Centre for Security Governance’s vigorous publications program features original research and event summaries on security sector reform and security governance issues, all of which are freely accessible and available to download. Four publication series are currently active – including our flagship publications, the CSG Papers and SSR 2.0 Brief.
CSG Papers (Centre for Security Governance)
This series provides longer, more heavily researched papers that originate from CSG research projects and conferences.
CSG Paper No. 5 - Non-State Security Providers and Political Formation in Somalia
CSG Paper No. 4 - Non-State Security Providers and Political Formation in South Sudan
CSG Paper No. 3 - Non-State Security Providers and Political Formation in Afghanistan
CSG Paper No. 2 - Civil Military Cooperation and Security Sector Reform in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
CSG Paper No. 1 - Making Sense of the White Army’s Return in South Sudan.
SSR 2.0 Brief (Centre for Security Governance)
These briefs offer short, concise, and critical commentary on the ongoing evolution of SSR.
SSR 2.0 Brief No. 4 -Franzisca Zanker. A Decade of Police Reform in Liberia: Perceptions, Challenges and Ways Ahead
SSR 2.0 Brief No. 3: Dean Piedmont. The Role of Disarmament,Demobilization & Reintegration in Countering Violent Extremism
SSR 2.0 Brief No. 2: Nina Wilen. A Window of Opportunity for Reforms in the Congo’s Security Sector?
SSR 2.0 Brief No. 1: Teodora Fuior and David Law. Security Sector Reform in the Central African Republic: Chronicle of a Death Foretold.
CSG Insights (Centre for Security Governance)
These commentaries are reproductions of select blog posts that were previously published on our SSR Resource Centre project’s blog The Hub.
CSG Insight No. 9 - Annie Mageka. Police Reform in Kenya: Challenges and opportunities
CSG Insight No. 8 - Anthony Welch. Programming Tools: Another Way of Keeping External Control of the SSR Process?
CSG Insight No. 7: Branka Marijan and Seán Brennan. Paramilitary Violence and Policing in Northern Ireland
CSG Insight No. 6: Antoine Vandemoortele. Learning from Failure? British and European Approaches to Security and Justice Programming
CSG Insight No. 5: Heather Murphy. Policing Engendered Security Sector Reform.
CSG Insight No. 4: Robert M. Perito. Security Sector Reform in North Africa: Why It’s Not Happening.
CSG Insight No. 3: Eric Muller. Consolidating Peace in Mali.
CSG Insight No. 2: Mark Sedra. The Dangers of Unfinished Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan.
CSG Insight No. 1: Andreas Krieg. ISIS’ Success in Iraq: A Testimony to Failed Security Sector Reform.
eSeminar Summaries (Centre for Security Governance)
eSeminar Summary provide a summation of what was discussed at the event, including presentations from the panelists and the Q&A discussion.
eSeminar Summary No. 4: Mark Sedra and Caitlin Vito. “Is Peacebuilding Dying?”
eSeminar Summary No. 3: David McDonough. “New Frontiers in Security Sector Reform: Countering Technology-Driven Threats.”
eSeminar Summary No. 2: David McDonough with Chelsea Winn. “The Afghan National Security Forces Beyond 2014: Will They Be Ready?”
eSeminar Summary No. 1: Chris Bordeleau. “Libya: Dealing with the Militias and Advancing Security Sector Reform.”
Previous publications series
The SSR Resource Centre and Centre for Security Governance previously published two publications series, the SSR Issue Papers and the SSR Monitor.
The SSR Issue Papers
The Security Sector Reform (SSR) Issue Papers are authored by prominent practitioners in the field, policy makers, academics and informed observers, the papers in this series contribute to ongoing debates and influence policy on issues related to SSR. Combining analysis of current problems and challenges, they examined thematic and geographic topics relating to the most pressing SSR issues.
SSR Issue Paper No. 9: Geoff Burt. ”From Private Security to Public Good: Regulating the Private Security Industry in Haiti.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 8: Michael Lawrence. “Towards a Non-State Security Sector Reform Strategy.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 7: Madeline Kristoff. ”Policing in Palestine: Analyzing the EU Police Reform Mission in the West Bank.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 6: Tom Hamilton-Baillie and Christian Dennys. “Strategic Support to Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 5: C. Christine Fair. “Security Sector Governance in Pakistan: Progress, But Many Challenges Persist.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 4: Alejandro Pachon. “Financing Security Sector Reform: A Review of Official Development Assistance Data.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 3: Kristin Bricker. “Military Justice and Impunity in Mexico’s Drug War.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 2: Aly Verjee. “Sudan’s Aspirational Army: A History of the Joint Integrated Units.”
SSR Issue Paper No. 1: Isabelle Fortin. “Security Sector Reform in Haiti One Year After the Earthquake.”
The Security Sector Reform Monitor
The Security Sector Reform Monitor was a quarterly publication that tracked developments and trends in the ongoing security sector reform processes of five countries: Afghanistan, Burundi, Timor-Leste, Haiti and South Sudan. Adopting a holistic definition of the security sector, the Monitor covered a wide range of actors, topics and themes, from reforms in the rule of law institutions and armed forces to demilitarization activities and the role of non-statutory security and justice actors.
Key Security Sector Reform Resource Centre Publications
The Security Sector Reform Resource Centre also publishes important documents, ebooks and conference reports on key issues of SSR and security governance.
eBook: The Future of Security Sector Reform
A collection of essays from leading scholars, analysts and practitioners examining various facets of the security sector reform agenda and the future of the concept as a whole. The publication will be presented in an innovative ‘eBook’ format — available as a free PDF download or for purchase in eBook format for eReaders, iPad and smartphones.
SSR 101: A Backgrounder on Security Sector Reform
This background paper, a primer for those new to the security sector reform (SSR) field, provides a critical overview of the SSR model, breaking it down and outlining its key elements. It also surveys emerging SSR best practices and analyzes current reform strategies and approaches. The paper identifies the main challenges to the implementation of SSR in the field and some of the tensions and debates surrounding the model that have gained traction in the policy and academic communities. While not a replacement for key foundational documents like the OECD DAC Handbook on Security System Reform, the paper offers an analytical examination of the development of SSR orthodoxy and its application in the field over the past decade.
eDialogue Summary Report: Security Sector Transformation in North Africa and the Middle East
An eDialogue held in partnership with the United States Institute for Peace provided a forum for a lively exchange of ideas on the application of security sector reform (SSR) in Africa and the Middle East. This report summarizes some of the questions and discussion prompted by the eDialogue, and considers possible entry points and policy directions for reform.
Special Report: SSR and the Domestic-International Security Nexus
This special report, commissioned by Public Safety Canada, follows a two-day workshop on security sector reform (SSR) organized in partnership with Public Safety Canada. Two central questions raised at the seminar are the focus of this report: How can Public Safety Canada effectively contribute to SSR engagements across the world and how can it fit SSR engagement into its domestically oriented mandate? Case studies suggest that engaging in SSR abroad can help eliminate or reduce some transnational threats, such as organized crime and weapons and drug trafficking.
Conference Report: At the Margins of SSR
In September 2010, a conference, At the Margins of SSR: Gender and Informal Justice, aimed to increase awareness of gender and informal justice, two areas of security sector reform (SSR) that have often been overlooked. The morning session examined southern women’s experiences with police reform, and the afternoon session considered the role of informal or non-state security and justice structures. The report includes a discussion of a future research agenda to examine the relationship between informal justice and security and SSR.
e-Conference Report: The Future of Security Sector Reform
On May 4-8 2009, Mark Sedra organized an e-Conference entitled “The Future of Security Sector Reform.” The goal of the web-based conference was to take stock of the evolution of SSR – identifying successes, failures and challenges – and contemplate its future. Over 300 policy makers, practitioners and observers from over 50 countries and a wide range of disciplines took part in the conference.
-
2. Key SSR Organizations
The SSR Resource Centre has compiled a list of SSR organizations to help you familiarize yourself with key players in the field.
African Security Sector Network (ASSN)
The African Security Sector Network (ASSN) is a pan-African network of experts and organisations working in the area of Security Sector Reform (SSR). Founded in 2003, the network is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, with regional hubs in Juba, Nairobi and Johannesburg, and a smaller office attached to the African Union in Addis Ababa.
The Arab Reform Initiative (ARI) is a consortium of policy analysis institutes, founded in 2005, that mobilizes research capacity to advance democratic change in Arab countries. It has several ongoing projects on security issues, including the ‘Security in Times of Transition’ and ‘Rebuilding security in fragmented societies: Preparing for post-conflict Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen’ projects. It also hosts the ArabBarometer which provides useful data on perceptions about security and public security institutions (police, army).
Centre for Security Governance (CSG)
The Centre for Security Governance (CSG) is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to the study of security and governance transitions in fragile, failed and conflict-affected states. Based in Canada, the CSG maintains a global, multi-disciplinary network of researchers, practitioners and academics engaged in the international peace and security field.
The CSG seeks to enhance the effectiveness of donor assistance and support to SSR programs through its research, events, training and direct policy advice. Committed to innovation, the CSG employs various technological tools to advance its impact and reach, most notably long-distance training and conferencing platforms. Supporting promising analysts and academics as well as advancing new ideas and approaches are also core values of the centre. Through its active engagement with SSR donors and recipients on the ground in fragile and conflict-affected states, the CSG endeavours to translate research, advice and training into tangible improvements in SSR policy and programming.
Clingendael – Netherlands Institute of International Relations
The Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’ is the leading Dutch think tank and diplomatic academy on international affairs. The institute provides public and private sector organisations with in-depth analysis of global developments in the fields of economic diplomacy, international security and conflict management. Over the years, they have developed a vigorous research programme on conflict & fragility and security & justice with their Conflict Research Unit.
The Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) is the Swedish government agency for peace, security and development, and has the overall mission to support international peace and crisis management operations. The FBA recruits personnel for international peace operations led by the UN, EU and OSCE, and conducts training, research and policy analysis and development. They have a particularly active research focus on practice-oriented reports on SSR.
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF)
DCAF is an international foundation established in 2000 on the initiative of the Swiss Confederation, as the ‘Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces’. DCAF contributes to enhancing security sector governance (SSG) through security sector reform (SSR). The Centre’s work to support effective, efficient security sectors which are accountable to the state and its citizens is underpinned by the acknowledgement that security, development and the rule of law are essential preconditions for sustainable peace. DCAF is guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, gender sensitivity and local ownership as the basis for supporting legitimate, sustainable reform processes. DCAF is based in Geneva with permanent offices in Beirut, Brussels, Ljubljana, Ramallah and Tunis. The Centre has over 140 staff from more than 30 countries.
Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC)
GSDRC is a partnership of research institutes, think-tanks and consultancy organisations. GSDRC provides applied knowledge services on demand and online, with expertise in issues of governance, social development, humanitarian response and conflict. A specialist research team supports a range of international development agencies, synthesising the latest evidence and expert thinking to inform policy and practice. GSDRC regularly produces high-quality reports and literature reviews on key issues related to security sector reform.
International Alert (IA) is one of the world’s leading peacebuilding organisations, with 30 years of experience laying the foundations for peace, working with local people in over 25 countries around the world to help them build peace, and advising governments, organisations and companies on how to support peace.
IA, through their crime, violence & instability core area of work, analyzes ways of addressing fragility caused by criminal, urban and gang violence, and the impact that these issues have on political and social instability, and use this knowledge to work with communities, governments and international agencies to devise practical responses that reduce harm.
International Crisis Group (ICG)
The International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict. Crisis Group produces reports and country analysis on issues related to security sector reform, most recently with their report on military reform in Nigeria.
International Peace Institute (IPI)
The International Peace Institute (IPI) is an independent, international not-for-profit think tank dedicated to managing risk and building resilience to promote peace, security, and sustainable development. To achieve its purpose, IPI employs a mix of policy research, strategic analysis, publishing, and convening. With staff from more than twenty countries and a broad range of academic fields, IPI has offices facing United Nations headquarters in New York and offices in Vienna and Manama.
International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT)
DCAF’s International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) provides practical support to the international community in its efforts to improve security and justice, primarily in conflict-affected and fragile states. It does this by working with a group of member states and institutions to develop and promote good security and justice reform practices and principles, and by helping its members to build their capacity to support national and regional security and justice reform processes. ISSAT is a useful hub on issues related to security sector reform.
Founded in 1989, the Stimson Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank devoted to addressing transnational challenges in order to enhance global peace and economic prosperity. The Stimson Center has regularly produced research on security sector reform and policing in peacekeeping operations.
Justice and Security Research Programme (JSRP)
The Justice and Security Research Programme (JSRP) is a research consortium led by the Department of International Development (ID) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), developed in partnership with academic and media organisations from the global North and South, and with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DfID).
Between 2011-2016 the JSRP is generating primary evidence about the informal institutions that govern the lives of people in a range of fragile or war-affected locations, with a focus on understanding the relationship between ‘official’ and ‘hybrid’ governance structures to find out what arrangements best benefit those at the receiving end of policies to support justice and security.
Marsad - The Online Security Sector Observatory
Marsad (meaning observatory in Arabic) is an online platform that monitors security sector governance in Egypt,Libya, Palestine and Tunisia. It provides search tools in order to allow stakeholders to easily access information. Marsad monitors media reporting, research, analysis and events related to the security sector in the Arab world.
Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) is the UK’s leading independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. As part of their politics and governance progamme, ODI has been at the forefront of innovative approaches to security and justice and political economy analysis of SSR.
OECD-DAC International Network on Conflict and Fragility (INCAF)
The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The OECD-DAC International Network on Conflict and Fragility (INCAF) monitors international engagement with the world’s 50+ fragile and conflict-affected states and helps improve international engagement in these countries, including on issues of security & justice.
Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative
The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative (the Dallaire Initiative) is a global partnership based at Dalhousie University. Our mission is to progressively eradicate the use and recruitment of child soldiers through a security sector approach. The Dallaire Initiative wants to bring the perspective of the security sector to the issue of child soldiery, while equipping them with the training and tools to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers worldwide. They have produced key resources and training materials on child soldiers and security sector actors.
Saferworld is an independent international organisation working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives, a not-for-profit organisation with programmes in nearly 20 countries and territories across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Saferworld is particularly active in the field of community security: Saferworld’s approach to community security is about putting people in the lead and helping them to improve their experiences of safety and security. It is an approach to programming and policy, but also a philosophy about what security is, who it is for and how it is delivered.
United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations
The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) is dedicated to assisting the Member States and the Secretary-General in their efforts to maintain international peace and security. DPKO has been assisting in the reform of individual components of the security sector, such as police services, for decades. Since 2007, DPKO has focused on supporting those efforts at the strategic level and in a holistic way, across all components. DPKO’s Security Sector Reform Unit (SSRU), part of the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, is the SSR focal point and technical capacity for the UN system as well as for national and international partners.
United States Institute for Peace (USIP)
The United States Institute of Peace works to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict around the world. USIP does this by engaging directly in conflict zones and by providing analysis, education, and resources to those working for peace. Created by Congress in 1984 as an independent, nonpartisan, federally funded organization, USIP’s more than 300 staff work at the Institute’s D.C. headquarters, and on the ground in the world’s most dangerous regions. USIP has recently published a new book on SSR, Prioritizing Security Sector Reform: A New U.S. Approach.
-
3. Key SSR Documents
Looking for must-reads in SSR? The SSR Resource Centre has compiled a list of key SSR documents to help you get started.
Editor’s Note: We are currently updating this section to include recent publications and new directions in doing security & justice programming and security sector reform. Stay tuned for our list of the most relevant documents and reports on SSR in the next few weeks!
Berghof Conflict Research, Security Sector Reform: Potentials and Challenges for Conflict Transformation, 2004.
Clingendael Institute, Enhancing Democratic Governance of the Security Sector: An Institutional Assessment Framework, 2003.
Clingendael Institute (Conflict Research Unit), Towards a Whole-of-Government Approach to Security System Reform, 2008.
OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC), Handbook on Security System Reform: Supporting Security and Justice, 2007.
Danish Institute for International Studies, Security Sector Reform in Fragile States, 2006.
Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), Development Donors and the Concept of Security Sector Reform, 2003.
International Peace Academy, In Good Company? The Role of Business in Security Sector Reform, 2005.
Megan Bastik and Kristin Valasek, Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, 2008.
OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC), Handbook on Security System Reform: Supporting Security and Justice, 2007.
OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC), Security System Reform: What Have We Learned? 2010.
UK Department for International Development (DFID), Security Sector Reform Policy Brief, 2003.
UK Department for International Development (DFID), Understanding and Supporting Security Sector Reform.
UN Development Programme, Justice and Security Sector Reform, 2002.
UN Secretary-General Report on Securing Peace and Development: the Role of the United Nations in Supporting Security Sector Reform – United Nations General Assembly (A/62/659-S/2008/39), 2008.
US Agency for International Development, US Department of Defense, US Department of State joint paper (3DSSR paper), Security Sector Reform.
Wulf, Herbert. Security Sector Reform in Developing and Transitional Countries, 2000.
-
4. Training Toolkits
Want to learn more about training and capacity building in the field of SSR? Here you will find a collection of toolkits for SSR practitioners.
Centre for Security Governance Senior Fellow David Law authored this toolkit on implementing the co-learning approach in security sector reform, titled “Co-Learning Approach to Capacity-Building and training for Security Sector Reform Practitioners — Including a Toolkit of Ten Co-learning Applications” (2011). Click here to read the Toolkit, published by the Cranfield Security Sector Management Team at Cranfield University.
After working over several years with professionals from across the globe, Centre for Security Governance Senior Fellow David Law authored this toolkit of training tools for SSR practitioners (2012). The toolkit showcases learning techniques in five focus areas: (1) Contextualising a region; (2) Comparative mapping of regional security sectors; (3) Drafting regional scenarios; (4) Crafting a regional security strategy; and (5) Developing basic skills for personal profesional developing, using material related to regional security cooperation. Click here to read “Training Tools and Exercises for Building Mutual Awareness, Confidence and Cooperation in Troubled Regions”.
In 2013, the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative released a document describing the Core Competencies for training security sector actors on child soldiers (The Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative: Core Competencies for Security Sector Training on the Prevention of the Use of Child Soldiers). Based on these Core Competencies, the Dallaire Initiative released a Handbook – currently in its second addition – that offers a toolkit to help prepare security sector actors interacting with child soldiers in conflict situations (Child Soldiers: A Handbook for Security Sector Actors).
In 2014, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) launched three practical Guidance Notes to integrate gender into security sector oversight (Integrating Gender into Internal Police Oversight; Integrating a Gender Perspective into Internal Oversight within Armed Forces; Integrating Gender into Oversight of the Security Sector by Ombuds Institutions & National Human Rights Institutions) and a fourth Guidance Note designed to offer practical recommendations for security sector institutions to deal with sexual and domestic violence against men (Preventing and Responding to Sexual and Domestic Violence against Men: A Guidance Note for Security Sector Institutions).
-
5. Top 10 SSR New Publications | Document Database
(in no particular order) All publications published in 2016. If you have an SSR resource you would like to showcase, please contact our Communications & Publications Manager, Antoine Vandemoortele, [email protected]
Top 10 (+1) New General SSR Publications
Using political economy analysis in conflict, security and justice programmes
This toolkit provides a framework for implementers of conflict, security, and justice programs to conduct political economy analysis at the design phase to ensure a deep understanding of the context drives activities. It sets out four preconditions to ensure the analysis is more likely to achieve impact, before setting out seven steps detailing how it might usefully be undertaken to develop programs that are generally responsive to context. - Lisa Denney, Overseas Development Institute
A welcome addition – and extremely useful practical resource – to the ongoing debates on security sector reform (SSR), this handbook provides insights into the role of an SSR adviser—the challenges connected to the role, and the tools, methodologies and best practice that can be applied when advising in complex political environments and reform contexts. – Emma Skeppström with contributions from Frida Gabrielsson Kjäll, Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA)
The Challenges and Lessons Learned in Supporting Security Sector Reform
This study pursues three objectives: First, it provides an overview of the concept of SSR support and analyses the most recent trends and relevant developments. Second, on this basis, it identifies the challenges confronting practitioners when implementing SSR measures and examines the solutions and strategies they pursue. Third, in light of the findings, the reasons for civil society to engage in SSR are presented along with possible approaches. - Steffen Eckhard, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Academic Spotlight Blog Series
The new Academic Spotlight blog series features recent research findings on security sector reform and security governance published in international relations academic journals. It provides a venue to promote discussion within the academic-policy nexus and develop opportunities to share and exchange on key SSR issues and themes. The blog posts published in this series summarize new research findings and build on recent developments on 2nd generation SSR and doing security & justice differently. They help shape the debates on security sector reform in fragile and conflict-affected countries and are a great way to maximize the impact of academic research and reach a wider policy community. - SSR Resource Centre, Centre for Security Governance
A Transparent and Accountable Judiciary to Deliver Justice for All
Corruption is hampering the delivery of justice globally. People perceive the judiciary as the second most corrupt public service, after the police. UNDP presents in this report, prepared in cooperation with U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, a series of successful experiences from Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Nepal, Nigeria, Paraguay, Philippines, and Somalia, in promoting transparency and accountability within the judiciary. Opening up judicial systems fosters integrity and increases public trust without impeding independence of the judiciary. The report advocates for judiciaries to open up to peer learning by engaging representatives of other countries in capacity assessments to improve judicial integrity. It also encourages judiciaries to consult end-users, associations of judges and use new technologies to foster transparency and accountability. – United Nations Development Programme
Managing change in the security and justice sector is politically sensitive and incredibly complex: it interferes with the foundations of power, is politically contested at both ends of the development partnership, and potentially challenges the interests of established social and political groupings in partner countries. In consequence, international support for security and justice development programming needs to be designed, organised and delivered in ways that adhere much more closely to the political and operational realities of fragile environments. This report analyses programmes in developing countries, extracting relevant policy implications and providing important lessons for future programmes. It draws on experience from nine security and justice programmes in four different countries: Burundi, Guatemala, Timor-Leste, and Sierra Leone, and highlights what has worked and what has not worked in the design and implementation of security and justice programmes in fragile and conflict-affected states. - Erwin van Veen, OECD
Rule of law, politics and development: the politics of rule of law reform
Rule of law remains a constant theme in development policy and practice, and in recent policy discourse and international commitments it has gained a new level of prominence. Despite this recognition, the history of international support to the sector’s reform is peppered with a sad trail of failures and underachievement. Drawing on different analytical and empirical bodies of work on the international rule of law, this report seeks to find some better answers to this question. It reviews key trends over time and makes the case for drawing on two current propositions for changing policy and practice: the link between rule of law and political settlements and being politically smart and adaptive in approaching rule of law reform. – Pilar Domingo, Overseas Development Institute
Lessons learned from security-related programming in stabilisation and conflict-affected contexts
This report concerns efforts conducted in contexts where long-term reforms have not necessarily been possible but where there might have been some shorter-term initiatives in the security sector (primarily formal but also informal to a certain extent). The challenging environment that ongoing conflict presents means that evidence based analysis of security sector initiatives is hard to find and the evidence base uncovered by this rapid literature review is small. Interviews with experts suggest that there may be more documented cases and lessons which are not publicly available. - Brigitte Rohwerder, GSDRC
Prioritizing Security Sector Reform
This new book from USIP focuses on how the United States should design and implement security sector reform policies. With case studies on Libya, Tunisia, and Mexico, the volume highlights the types of environments these policies will be used in and the capabilities required for each. – Querine Hanlon and Richard H. Shultz, Jr., The United States Institute of Peace
Local Ownership in Security: Case Studies of Peacebuilding Approaches
This report explores ways to achieve meaningful local ownership in the security sector. It provides nearly forty case studies of civil society and security actors using the principles of peacebuilding to work together towards human security. Three roundtable conferences created opportunities for civil society and security sector leaders to share their case studies and identify patterns in their lessons. It includes chapters on local ownership, DDR, capacity building for human security, gender mainstreaming and security, and more. This is a fantastic tools for civil society organizations as well as SSR and security governance experts and practitioners. - Lisa Schirch, with Deborah Mancini-Griffoli, Alliance for Peacebuilding, GPPAC, Kroc Institute
Responsive and Responsible: Politically Smart Rule of Law Reform in Conflict and Fragile States
There is a long-standing recognition that rule of law is an essential element in achieving sustainable peace and development. In recent years it has gained even more prominence in policy discourse and as a core ingredient of broad-based international commitments, with the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular Goal 16 as a clear indicator for where we are headed. Yet, what has been lacking in rule of law reform, or at least it has been only marginally represented, is a political approach to address the underlying causes of problems and obstacles to rule of law. The report stresses the need to utilize political analysis to inform rule of law engagements in order to align political approaches with technical methodologies used by actors in the field of peacekeeping, peacebuilding and development. - Richard Sannerholm, Shane Quinn and Andrea Rabus, FBA
—-
Top 10 New SSR Country Case Studies or sector-specific publications
La Mano Dura: Lessons from El Salvador’s Security Sector Reform
Centre for Security Governance Fellow Gaëlle Rivard Piché discusses recent research findings on security sector reform, public order regimes and state expansion. By focusing on El Salvador, the author aims to understand how SSR often fails to actually make people feel safer. – Gaëlle Rivard Piché, Political Violence @ A Glance
Nigeria: The Challenge of Military Reform
Taking into consideration the current state of Nigeria’s military as a flawed force, this report discusses ways to design and implement a comprehensive package of military and defence reforms, including a clear identification of security challenges; a new defence and security policy and structure to address them; and drastic improvement in leadership, oversight, administration and accountability across the sector. – International Crisis Group
Transitional policing in South Sudan’s peace agreement: Joint Integrated Police
This new report focuses on security sector reform in South Sudan, with a case study of a new Joint Integrated Police (JIP) unit, and outlines the challenges this unit will face in delivering security for communities. – SaferWorld
The Challenges of Multi-Layered Security Governance in Ituri
This excellent policy brief details the practices and impacts of multi-layered security governance as well as the role of non-state security providers in the Ituri Province located in north-eastern DR Congo. - Kasper Hoffmann and Koen Vlassenroot, Justice and Security Research Programme (JSRP-LSE)
Seeking Justice in South Sudan
This new publication, a cartoon series depicting ordinary citizens’ struggle for justice in South Sudan, takes an innovative approach to illustrate the challenges of rule of law and justice in fragile and conflict-affected countries. – The Cartoon Movement, the Justice and Security Research Programme and the World Peace Foundation
Justice Needs in Ukraine: Legal problems in daily life
In this report on justice needs and satisfaction in Ukraine, the authors find that more than half of the citizens encounter a serious justice need. Their survey discusses the concerns that citizens have regarding access to legal remedies and other justice needs. It then looks at whether or not they are satisfied with the justice processes they can access. The authors argue that a cross-sectional approach is needed to bridge the gap between justice needs and available remedies. – Martin Gramatikov, Sam Muller, Johanna Piest, Jamila Sallali, Kavita Heijstek-Ziemann, HiiL Innovating Justice
Dilemmas of Reform: Policing in Arab Transitions
The Arab states in transition are confronted with a seemingly intractable task: rebuilding state institutions and social contracts in an era of global change. Conventional approaches to security sector reform that fail to grasp the dilemmas and challenges complicating this effort are certain to fail. In this paper, the author examines the dilemmas of policing in these states and finds that they will arrive at diverse political and institutional outcomes in relation to their security sectors. – Yezid Sayigh, Carnegie Middle East Center
Justice mechanisms and conflict dynamics in Nepal: Local perceptions and impacts
This report discusses findings on community-level perceptions of formal and informal justice mechanisms, access to justice among different community/ethnic groups, and the linkages between access to justice issues and local conflict dynamics in Nepal.– Saferworld
Recycling Rebels? Demobilization in the Congo
Following the end of the Second Congo War in 2003, the Congolese government and civil society have attempted to tackle consecutive cycles of armed mobilization. Amidst other peace efforts, a key strategy has always been the DDR of combatants. This briefing analyzes why and how previous DDR processes have failed, and provides a sketch of the current state of affairs and future prospects for demobilization. It reviews the impact of CONADER and the potential of DDR III, focusing on the role of combatants, commanders, and politicians. The briefing discusses incentives for armed groups to join demobilization programs under conditions of high insecurity and distrust, as well as the relationship between demobilization and remobilization. – Christoph Vogel and Josaphat Musamba, Rift Valley Institute
International Support to Security Sector Reform in Ukraine
This publication reflects on the assessment of the Swedish National Contact Group for Security Sector Reform on SSR in Ukraine. Since submitting the report, the academy has continued to work on mapping international support to Ukraine’s SSR efforts. The report is a contribution to information-sharing and coordination in favor of an effective, affordable, accountable, and transparent security sector. – Mans Hanssen, Folke Bernadotte Academy
Visit the Centre for