While there is emerging recognition in the Ukraine of the benefits of security sector reform (SSR), significant reforms to date are limited to the defence sector. This paper, published by the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, reviews the current status of SSR in the Ukraine and recent security policy statements of Ukrainian authorities. Substantial reform efforts need to be applied to internal security institutions, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.
After the 2004 “Orange Revolution”, Ukraine’s President Yushchenko expressed the desire to join the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and align Ukrainian security policies with Western standards. Political failures by the Yushchenko administration caused the emergence of now-Prime Minister Yanukovych, who has an Eastern-oriented political philosophy. The two men represent Ukraine’s current dilemma: whether to orient national policies towards the east – Russia – or whether to continue the country’s adoption of Euro-Atlantic community standards. Future SSR will inevitably be affected by the country’s foreign policy orientation.
Ukrainian SSR is a national goal and adheres to the following principles:
- SSR is carried out according to Euro-Atlantic standards, especially regarding civilian control of military and security organs; and
- Reform of the Ministry of Defence, administrative boards of investigation, the Internal Forces, Security Service, External Investigation Service and the State Border Service.
The most significant SSR reforms to date have occurred in the defence sector, including:
- Defence analysis of the armed forces, including proposed new armed force levels;
- Potential security threat analysis up to 2015;
- Creation of defence budget indicators up to 2015;
- List of reform tasks to be conducted by the armed forces and a proposed armed forces structural re-organisation; and
- Training of the armed forces on armed forces restructuring.
The Border Service has developed a reform agenda that foresees an increase in civilian personnel and has increased anti-smuggling activities.
SSR programmes have introduced concepts of security governance to national leadership and the security community with some success; the benefits of application of democratic norms and standards to the security sector are now being acknowledged.
However, there are severe gaps in the SSR process, including the following:
- Internal security forces such as the Security Service and the Internal Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have remained largely untouched by the SSR process.
- Law enforcement agencies remain inefficient, corrupt and characterised by Soviet-inspired military domination, centralisation, authoritarian decision making and excessive bureaucracy.
- The judiciary continues to be vulnerable to political and administrative interference and plagued by inefficiency and corruption.
- Much more needs to be done to make good on Yushchenko’s election pledge to re-orient the role of law enforcement agencies towards the security of each citizen, as opposed to political interests.
- Widespread corruption has yet to be addressed.
- While movement towards Euro-Atlantic integration made initial progress (at least on the declaratory level), authorities have failed to convince the public on the merits of NATO membership and have done little to improve popular understanding of the Alliance.
- The overarching governance architecture falls far short of providing genuine civilian democratic control.
- Excessive centralisation of power continues to be held in the hands of political leaders.
