the process of security sector reform - ISAC Fund

George Katsirdakis SECURITY SECTOR REFORM FROM A NATO VIEWPOINT
George Katsirdakis SECURITY SECTOR REFORM FROM A NATO VIEWPOINT
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO IMPLEMENT DSSR
AND MONITOR IMPLEMENTATION
Turning now to practical activities in the context of the Partnership that could
become the tools through which DSSR could be implemented in the broader
Partnership region, one could think of a multitude of such activities. Such
activities could include the following, although the list is not exhaustive:
• Annual Survey of structures, missions, organization, interrelationships,
capabilities, training and reform plans of elements of the defence and
security sector to be provided by each PfP nation. The Survey would
Include a separate chapter for each element of the sectors;
• Annual Assessment and Consolidated Report on the status and reform
activity of the defence and security sector;
• Development of special DSSR Partnership Goals for implementation of
DSSR by willing nations in the context of PARP/MAP;
• Ad Hoc inter-service meetings (e.g. armed forces with other uniformed
agencies) to share experiences on reform activities and to discuss
coordination and cooperation in dealing with current security threats;
• PfP Exercises on inter-service cooperation and coordination Involving
various defence and security sector actors;
• Programmes for career development for civilian experts for the defence
and security sectors;
• Assistance programmes for Partner countries to help train personnel and,
organise and finance DSSR activities by Partner countries;
• Provision of civilian and military advisers to Partner governments to
advise about DDSR;
• Establishment of expert advisory teams including national experts on
DSSR to advise governments on DSSR;
• Opening of special courses at NATO Defence College, NATO School
Oberammergau, PfP Training Centres and national educational establishments
on DSSR Issues;
• Organise roundtables on DSSR with parliamentarians, members of defence
and security sector services and members of civil society bodies
to discuss DSSR and exchange views;
• Develop a DSSR web site as an on-line data base and reference library
on DSSR issues to share information, have access to publications, legislation,
general knowledge and technical assistance;
• Develop EAPC/PfP staff talks, conferences, seminars and workshops to
focus on individual components of the defence and security sector and
on reform issues;
• Encourage research on defence and SSR requirements and implementation
in the form of NATO-sponsored fellowships with particular focus on
inter-agency coordination and cooperation.
CONCLUSIONS
As already described in the preceding paragraphs, the issue of SSR is a fairly
recent invention as a term and as a systemic approach to defence and security
issues. However, the underlying elements have long been issues of concern and
various nations and international organisations have been focussing on them.
NATO, already heavily involved in defence reform issues, has recently been
considering its involvement in the broader area of SSR realising that other international
organisations have also been working in this field. Efforts have already
been made to better coordinate and cooperate with the EU, the OSCE, and the
Stability Pact and the first positive result has been the Ohrid Conference on
Border Security in the Balkans.
NATO has also been considering the possibility of introducing a Partnership
Action Plan on Defence and Security Sector Reform but that PAP-DSSR has
not yet materialised. As these efforts mature it is conceivable that NATO and the
Partnership will also be directly involved in the DSSR in the near future.
This paper was originally published in the Compendium of lectures from
The Second School of Security Sector Reform, in 2003.
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