How do countries in Central Asia approach security sector reform? To what extent is this in cooperation with regional and international actors? Almost every Central Asian state is engaged in a discourse on security sector reform, democratic oversight of the security sector and civil-military relations. However, it would be wrong to assume that the joint efforts of European, transatlantic, regional and national actors (including the media, civil society and academia) have led to homogenous or at least sustainable progress.
Democratic institution building in and democratic governance of the security sector continue to pose challenges to all governments which have emerged from the former Soviet Union. The added challenge of joining the global coalition in the ‘fight against terrorism’ has accelerated development in some departments of the security sector. It has, however, at the same time led to a standstill if not a backlash in the evolution of a culture of human and civil rights, not to mention international humanitarian law.
Regional cooperation in Central Asia has never been easy, with the interests of individual states leading them in different directions.
- Central Asia has a unique geo-strategic position. Lying between Russia and China as a kind of buffer zone, it has to accommodate the aspirations of two huge world powers.
- Central Asian countries are unable to implement effective border security controls without close cooperation with neighbouring countries and direct organisational and technical assistance from other foreign parties.
- Islamic fundamentalism in Central Asia is rather a reaction to unfair power distribution and poverty than a real threat to the West.
- Widespread corruption among civil servants (in the judiciary sector and security services) hinders the effective fight against terrorism and extremism.
- In Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan conspirative extremist sects and organisations have developed.
- There is no common approach in Kazakhstan concerning determined action against extremism.
As SSR unfolds in Central Asia, human rights run the risk of being sidelined. In order for effective and sustainable SSR to take place, human rights issues need to take a prominent place in any SSR programme.
- There is a need for flexible and willing actors in the security sphere and in particular in the Central Asian area in order to fight terrorist threats.
- Cooperation is needed on a strategic and tactical level in order to fight terrorism, especially in the sphere of intelligence.
- If economic and political reforms in the Central Asian countries fail, and domestic and cross-border conflicts develop, the region will become a nest of terrorism.
- The success of border policies could require long-term efforts and are important both for regional stability in Central Asia and for the development of effective Euro-Asian trans-national links.
- International interventions undertaken for the sake of so-called security can also provide justification for human rights violations and repressions.
- The Shanghai Organisation for Cooperation can play an important role with respect to the steadily more complicated situation and the rising activities of international terrorists and extremists in the region.
