Development Of Security Sector Research Articles

Transforming Uganda’s Security Sector: The Need for a Gender Sensitive Approach

The recognition that gender matters in security has shaken the Westphalian security model that prioritized state over human security. Indeed, concerns related to the security of individuals and communities have diluted earlier assumptions that a secure state automatically translates into a safe population. Gender has moved hand-in-hand with human security but consistently struggled to gain its own space in security discussions in the post-Cold War period where dependability between security and development is loudly pronounced. This paper argues that although state-centric security practices are non-dismissible, in transforming Uganda’s security sector, a gender-sensitive approach is critical for ensuring effective security service delivery and responsiveness to unique women, men, girls’ and boys’ security needs. The paper relied on secondary sources of data such as the National Gender Policy, Security Sector Development Plan; Ministerial reports; Development Community’s reports such as UNDP and OECD and literature related to gender and security by different authors. Throughout the review of the literature, the task was three-fold; a) to explain why gender has been negated in security; b) to appreciate the need to shift from security sector reform to security sector transformation and c) to advance the need for transforming Uganda’s security sector through a gendered lens. Keywords: Gender, Security sector, Security sector transformation, Uganda

The role of international organizations in the development of security sector in Kosovo: Advantages and constrains

Pursuant to UNSC Resolution 1244, following the war and the NATO bombing campaign, Kosovo was placed under an international administration, by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). After the end of the war, the course of the security policies in Kosovo was directed mainly by international actors. Basically, the security sector was non-existent, whereas the international military and civilian presence was responsible for the security of Kosovo’s borders and the protection of public order. The responsibility for security thus belonged to the international community and was progressively transferred to the Kosovo security institutions. While in the beginning, the takeover of security by the international community was a necessity in order to provide peace and stability, the prolongation of the delegation of ownership to local institutions created disadvantages in terms of timely and professional development. During international administration, the undefined political status of Kosovo influenced the security sector as an area reserved for the international community.

Issues of local ownership in Kosovo’s security sector

Local ownership represents an overarching concept in international development. However, its core principles have been occasionally neglected in the practice of state-building such as in the case of Kosovo. This paper explores relations between the international community and local actors in the process of Kosovo security sector development after 2008, when the country declared its independence. This article finds that externally-driven models were imposed in some phases of security sector development. The actions of the international community disregarded the local context and created distrust by the local actors. The study relies on extensive face-to-face interviews with relevant national and international stakeholders, a public opinion survey with a sample of 1102 respondents, focus group and personal observation.

The rhetoric and practice of the ‘ownership’ of security sector reform processes in fragile countries: the case of Kosovo

ABSTRACTSuccessful outcomes in security sector reform (SSR) implementation are often conditioned on two key inter-related operational principles: international agencies’ understanding of the ‘local context’ where they intervene and their encouragement of the country ‘ownership’ of the institutional reforms they advocate. Outcomes, however, are determined by power, and different patterns of outcomes are likely to emerge from different types and degrees of power exercised by a multiplicity of actors operating in a dynamic political and social context. Drawing upon these inter-connections between outcomes and power, this article examines Kosovo’s security sector development experience since 1999. It argues that depending on types of, and changes in, power-based interplays between international and domestic forces, different patterns of ‘ownership’ have emerged in the context of SSR implementation in Kosovo.

Learning from More than Mali: The Primacy of Civil Authority in Security Sector Development and Assistance

Learning from More than Mali: The Primacy of Civil Authority in Security Sector Development and Assistance

To 2012 and Beyond: International Assistance to Police and Security Sector Development in Timor‐Leste

The United Nations (UN) has now been involved in the (re)construction of Timor‐Leste's police force on two occasions. Although initially hailed as a success, in 2006 a serious security and governance crisis looked set to unravel the country's postindependence achievements, resulting in renewed international involvement in the security sector. However, many of the problems involved in constructing the Polícia Nacional Timor‐Leste (PNTL) the first time have been faithfully reproduced the second time. The mandate to reconstruct the PNTL in 2006 was an opportunity for the UN to salvage its reputation for a job done poorly the first time, yet the significant lack of capacity and relationship in both the UN and the Timor‐Leste government has meant little improvement in the PNTL. Arguably, the failure of the UN to construct a police force in Timor‐Leste has far broader implications in police building globally.