Civil-Military Relations and Democratic Control of the Security Sector

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Recruitment
The People in the Security Sector
All personnel management policies, including recruitment policy, are subject to democratic control.
Parliaments should seek guarantees that the recruitment system for the security services is
open to all segments of society and selection is based on merit and quality. All positions within
the security services must be open to all citizens, regardless of gender, political affiliation, class,
race or religion. 2 Ideally, the personnel composition of the security services, police and armed
forces in particular, mirror the society. A number of democratic countries implement specific
policies to encourage under-represented societal groups to apply for positions in the security
services.
In states, where the constitutional duty “to defend the country” is made compulsory through
law for military service, parliaments should establish clear rules for liability, duration of service,
postponement and exemption, penalties for evasion, age limits, and recruitment procedures. In
conscript armies, to some extent in a fully professional as well, i.e., voluntary, military, the service
may perform important social functions providing education, skills and qualification that may
be of use after the end of the service and, most importantly, to function as a ‘melting pot’ of
various groups of society.
Most democratic countries, that still keep the system of conscription, recognize by law the
right of the individual to refuse to join the armed forces and bear arms based on their religion or
personal conviction. Such ‘conscientious objectors’ must carry out a national service as alternative
to the military service. The regulations on recognizing the status of ‘conscientious objector’
and carrying out alternative service, as well as their implementation, are subject to parliamentarian
control and oversight.
An effective and competitive recruitment system allows discretion on employment and payment
of security service personnel. Remuneration is an important factor in finding suitable candidates
for the security sector organizations. And yet, a clear primacy of the occupational as
opposed to institutional motivations in choosing a career in a security service potentially leads to
structural defects in the profession and limits strongly the possibilities for objective civilian
control. 3
Education
The education of security service personnel should promote key democratic values and norms,
while creating professionals who are dedicated and prepared for their tasks. To that effect it
would include courses on democracy, constitutional, international and humanitarian law. The
education needs to be politically neutral – it should not include in any way political ideology and
elements of propaganda. 4
In addition to the necessary technical expertise, security personnel—and the officer corps in
particular—should be prepared to deal with the ambiguity and the unpredictability of the 21st
2 Ibid., p. 152.
3 As defined by Samuel P. Huntington in The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-
Military Relations, renewed edition (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1985).
4 Hans Born, ed., Parliamentarian Oversight of the Security Sector, p. 152.