Security Sector Reform and Weak States - Essay Example

Explain briefly the concept of 'security sector reform' and 'weak s'. How could 'security sector reform' offer a way forward in 'weak s' Give example MEANING OF SECURITY SECTOR REFORMS AND ITS PROCESS According to Wikipedia definition of Security said is the condition of being protected against danger or loss. In the general sense, security is a concept similar to safety. The nuance between the two is an added emphasis on being protected from dangers that originate from outside. Individuals or actions that encroach upon the condition of protection are responsible for the breach of security. (Security) The discussion in this essay is fully related to the above definition, which needs to explore concepts of security sector reforms and 'weak state'. Additionally how these reforms would have an impact towards pushing these weak states forward The Security Sector Reforms in particular has been thoroughly defined by the United Nation International Research and Training Institute for the Women Advancement. The term according to the definition refers to the most commonly used term to describe these transformations of the 'security system'. Consensus on the precise definition of the term has yet to be reached; it is employed to describe both single-issue reforms such as disarmament, and comprehensive processes based on broad principles such as good governance. (Security Sector Reform) Thus the expression above has given the concept of security sector reforms which include all the conditions governing the security sector, with the aims and objective of mounting the sector. The concept further more expresses in a wider range about how the security reforms should be carry out based on the modern perspective, which focuses on human security, as for given protection not only to individuals, but to a wide range of communities against any negative threat, violence and injustice, including protecting them from all forms of human violation. is commonly understood to include all the organizations that have the authority to use, or order the use of, force, or the threat of force, to protect individuals and the state Additionally, unofficial actors play an important role in the security sector, both through their involvement in security sector reform and taking on the position of security providers. (Security Sector Reform) However, when there is no security reform, then the human life will be in turmoil, since there would be violence here and there, conflict will also become unavoidable, others include lack of good governance that will treat its people undemocratically, corruption and torture would have a place to reign, while harassment of civilian will be a top agenda. The security sector reform is said to have gained its mainstay from the beginning of the 1990s, when groups of peace initiators, indigenous groups, ethnic minorities, and other concern organization across the glob vowed to ensure that justice, fairness and all forms of positive treatments replaces intimidations against humanity from all walks of life. But at this juncture, before stepping to the next important discussion of the essay, we should exactly the process of the security reforms, meaning how it is carry out. To this end, a statement said the objective of the reforms, and the specific country or community context, certain stages are common to many SSR processes. The UK Department for International Development ((DFID) describes this process from the perspective of a donor in their guidelines on SSR, including key steps such as: informal or formal consultations; a general diagnosis including identifying and determining which entry-point/s to address; specific assessments or reviews; stakeholder meetings; implementation; monitoring; and evaluation. (Security Sector Reform) THE CONCEPT OF SECURITY SECTOR REFORM AND WEAK STATES Meaning of weak states: Failed states serve as a catalyst to non-state terrorist networks. They provide locations for critical face-to-face meetings/training that create the lifelong bonds of trust necessary for the smooth operation of covert networks They are also excellent conduits for transnational crime (drug and human trafficking primarily) that fund ongoing operations. However, an exact definition of what a failed state is and how they become failed states is fuzzy. (Global Guerillas) After the world witnessed the end of the cold war, there has been an extreme process of security sector reform globally; as a result, new concept of the reforms such as political, economic, societal and environmental aspect replaces the means of military as the only alternative to security measure. With the increase of intra state wars and conflict especially in weak states, that are poorly and failed governed, the international communities therefore realized that there is the need to adapt to security reforms in such states for protecting of social groups and individuals. Thus, the new security reforms in these weak states were adapted by the international communities. This led to the emergence of new security concepts such as 'societal security' and 'human security'. The latter, which has gained much recognition in the international arena, illustrates best the paradigmatic change from the primacy of national (and international) security to the growing importance of transnational, sub-national and individual security. Although still an ill-defined and contested concept, human security covers a wide range of threats to the security of individuals and social groups such as anti-personnel landmines, small arms and light weapons, child soldiers, trafficking in women as well as, in its wider notion, all aspects of human development such as economic, food, health and environmental insecurity. (Conceptualizing Security Sector Reforms Reconstruction). A security sector reforms process in weak states exemplify with the role of the Civil Society, on how they are engaged entirely in such nations ensuring that the new concept of the reform initiated by the world communities is done properly. In August and September 2006, the United Nation Institute of Peace, had sponsored a program in Nepal, aiming to ensure that the civil societies put hands on deck to maintaining security reform in that country. This two-day program brought together a broad spectrum of Nepali civil society, including representatives of human rights organizations, dalit and janjayti rights groups, development agencies, and student, media, and academic communities, to discuss the issue of security sector reform in Nepal and civil society's role in the wake of ongoing peace negotiations that subsequently resulted in a peace agreement signed by the government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) in November 2006. (Security Sector Reform in Nepal: The Role of Civil Society) HOW SECURITY SECTOR REFORMS WOULD PUSH WEAK STATE FORWARD Since we have touched some important aspect of the security reforms, especially in the weak states and concept applying there to ensuring peace, there is the need to push forward and dig out with basic points on how this security sector reform will immensely push these weak states forward to the success peak, politically, socially and economically. One of the ways that security sector reforms would push the weak states forward is through the prevention of conflicts, as one of the social impact, with ensuring that people there continue to live without internal crises, which always cripple all sectors of human development. For example, there are effort made in some weak states through the security sector reforms (SSR), aiming to end conflict in such countries and paving the way forward to development. In Uganda and Sierra Leone, the SSR Strategy was clearly making an important contribution to conflict prevention. In Afghanistan, the portfolio of SSR projects, and the support offered by the SSR Strategy, have the potential to meet a range of short to medium term needs within the security sector that can support the process of peace consolidation. As noted in respect of Afghanistan, the gigantic size of the conflict problems which the SSR work is supposed to alleviate is a challenge that is not matched by the combined resources of the Afghanistan Strategy and the SSR Strategy. (Evaluation of Conflict Prevention Pool) Moreover, the case of Mozambique is one of the examples of social impact of security reforms in the weak states, which as a result the country after a year of peace agreement which started after the end of the conflict, brought about considerable development in the security sector of the country, through the UNDP programe. UNDP program helped to improve the training of the new police force and restore the Police academy. Their goal was to increase the new force's capacity to protect the rights and security f Mozambique's citizens. The training was directed at enhancing performance and management capacity. In addition to the training, policemen found to have acted improperly were dismissed. A year after the program's completion, crime had fallen, criminal activity had broken up, and small arms and light weapons continued to be discovered and destroyed. (Security Sector Reforms in Central America Is It Working) In Iraqi for example, soon after the Saddam regime was toppled in 2003, International communities observed the country is facing a serious insecurity which would result to lack of social, economic and political development. In order to change the country toward developing direction, the security sector reforms began. Since the beginning of the operation of security reforms in Iraq, there were lot of achievement recorded socially, politically and economically, which in the near future, the country would have a better environment. One of the achievements recorded in the security sector reforms in Iraq, is the establishment of 'Iraq National Security Institutions', where in this sector, some achievements were recorded towards pushing the country ahead. The CPA had, by June 2004, helped Iraq's political leaders to establish national security institutions, most notably a ministerial Committee on National Security (MCNS). This committee engaged in policymaking and strategy development, and its supporting institutions had begun to be built. The committee was continued under the IIG by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. However, there is little sign yet of the development of true coordination between ministries at working levels, facilitated by a national security advisory staff. The reversion to hierarchical, patronage-based stovepipes is a real danger in Iraq, which, if it occurs, would reduce the quality of national security policymaking. (Developing Iraq Security Sector) Before coming to the last step of the written, it is very significant to note that despite the fact that the security sector reforms yields social, economic and political benefits to the weak states, nevertheless, most of the program agenda focues on social aspect, which including the humanatarian sector. One of the testimony of the above assertion refers to Refugees issue, and their weel being, which also par iof the security sector reform. The reform has given immense consideration towards the protection of the civilian from all forms of negative approach. Weak states enjoys the security sector reforms on that level. However, the Refugee International had once sent a letter to UN security Council, re-stressing on the Slovakian government joint effort with UN on protection of Civilian under the security reform sector. The UN Security Council said one of the aim of the reform is to ensure tha weak states develop forward in all human endevor. Aportion of Refugees International message written to UN Security Council states with stress that Security Reforms will develop the weak states through many aspect. Its said further Like the more traditional peacekeeping missions, these multidimensional missions still fulfill short-term stabilization and protection duties. But today peacekeepers are also expected to lay the ground work for long-term development and a self-sustaining peace. The weak or corrupted security institutions that make peacekeeping necessary in the first place must be developed into strong, accountable institutions that protect civilians, ensure stability, and create the necessary conditions for lasting peace, security, and rule of law. (Security Sector Reforms Most Focus on Protection of Civilians) On the final note we shuold focus on the development beginning to recorded in some weak states that have involved in the security sector reforms. These states have begins to record social, political and economic development. In Albanian, in 2006, the country signed with EU, Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), which s result begins to push the country forward economically. "Albania now faces the challenge of successfully implementing its SAA, starting with the trade-related provisions contained in the interim agreement, which enters into force on 1 December 2006". (Key Finding of the Progress Reports on Kosovo and the Potential Candidate countries) Politically, as a result of security sector reforms, Albanian begin to records significants acahievements in that sector. One of the successes so far achieved is the country's determination toward fighting against corruption, while economically its continued to mantained macroeconomic stability. Others achievements recorded economically include "strong economic growth and low inflation. Fiscal consolidation has further advanced. Administrative barriers to market entry have been reduced". (Key Finding of the Progress Reports on Kosovo and the Potential Candidate countries) Finally, the assessment made so far, has expressed thoroughly how the security sector reforms has great impact to weak states, socially, politically and economically. References Security, Retrieved, March 29, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security Global Guerillas, (01, May 2004), Weak, Failed and Collapsed States, Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2004/05/failed_states.html United Nation International Research and Training Institute for the Women Advancement, Security Sector Reform, Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://www.un-instraw.org/en/index.phpoption=content&task=blogcategory&id=151&Itemid=210 Heiner Hanggi, Conceptualizing Security Sector Reforms Reconstruction, Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://www.dcaf.ch/_docs/bm_ssr_yearbook2004_1.pdf USI Peace Briefing, Security Sector Reform in Nepal: The Role of Civil Society, Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2006/1207_security_sector_nepal.html Nicole Ball, Department of International Development, DFID, Evaluation of Conflict Prevention Pool, Retrieved, March 30, 2007, from http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutDFID/performance/files/ev647ssr.pdf Kimberly Slaby, Security Sector Reforms in Central America Is It Working, Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://sand.miis.edu/research/student_research/Slaby_SSR%20in%20Central%20AmII.pdf Andrew Rathmell, Olga Oliker, Terrence K. Kelly, David Brannan, Keith Crane National Defense Research Institute, Developing Iraq Security Sector, Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG365.sum.pdf Refugee International, Security Sector Reforms Most Focus on Protection of Civilians, Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9861/ Press Release, Key Finding of the Progress Reports on Kosovo and the Potential Candidate countries, Retrieved March 30, 2007, from http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.doreference=MEMO/06/412&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Read More