CIAO DATE: 12/2008

Special Report No. 209: Securing the Future: A Primer on Security Sector Reform in Conflict Countries

September 2008

United States Institute of Peace

Abstract

• Since security is a precondition of sustainable development, security sector reform (SSR) is essential in the transition from war to peace in conflict-affected countries.
• SSR is the complex task of transforming the "security sector"-those organizations and institutions that safeguard the state and its citizens from security threats-into professional, effective, legitimate, apolitical, and accountable actors.
• SSR remains an unmet challenge for the United Nations and the international community, despite the growing demand for it in peacekeeping missions around the world. This lack of reform has perpetuated the cycle of violence and prolonged costly peacekeeping missions.
• Work on SSR remains in its early stages, with most organizations still focusing on common definitions and fundamental concepts and on "mainstreaming" their ideas within the larger international community.
• There is no U.S. government doctrine, best practices, or even common terminology concerning SSR. This is primarily due to SSR's recent conceptual development, the inherent difficulty in implementing SSR programs, and the lack of an official interagency policy coordinating committee within the current administration.
• A comprehensive approach to SSR is needed if the United States plans to effectively support good governance programs in states emerging from hostilities. The United States also needs a formal interagency structure for managing SSR programs.
• SSR can be an effective instrument for conflict prevention and conflict management in changing threat environments. This report, however, focuses on the post-conflict application of SSR, since this is when comprehensive SSR is most often attempted.

Resource link: Special Report No. 209: Securing the Future: A Primer on Security Sector Reform in Conflict Countries [PDF] - 309K