CIAO DATE: 10/2009
May 2009
United States Institute of Peace
Efforts to create an effective interior ministry and a professional and community oriented police force cannot succeed unless they are part of an overall effort for security sector reform. SSR, a relatively new concept, refers to the highly political and complex task of transforming the institutions and organizations responsible for dealing with security threats to the state and its citizens. The United Nations defines the "security sector" as "the structures, institutions and personnel responsible for the management, provision and oversight of security in a country." The institutions involved include those concerned with defense, law enforcement, corrections, intelligence, border management, customs, and civil emergencies, as well as the courts and tribunals adjudicating cases of criminal conduct. The UN definition also includes institutions responsible for the management and oversight of security, such as the executive and its ministries, legislative bodies, and civil society groups. Nonstate actors such as traditional authorities, militias, and private security services are also included. The United Nations sees SSR as "a process of assessment, review and implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation led by national authorities that has as its goal the enhancement of effective and accountable security for the state and its people without discrimination and with full respect for human rights" (UN Secretary General 2008).
Resource link: The Interior Ministry's Role in Security Sector Reform [PDF] - 261K