How and to what extent is SSR being adopted in policy and implemented in practice? This OECD report outlines the fundamental principles of SSR and makes recommendations based on good practice examples. It examines the origins of the SSR agenda and the Development Assistant Committee’s (DAC) role. Little progress has been made in translating the new security concepts into policies and programmes. Strengthening SSR will require strategic planning for improved policies, practices and partnerships amongst all actors.
This paper seeks to assist donors by improving their understanding of the security challenges facing developing and transition countries today; linking security and development, and mainstreaming SSR in development work; and establishing improved policy frameworks and more effective programming. The rationale, principles and objectives of SSR need to be clearly communicated and a holistic approach which takes development and security into account along with the needs of all actors, particularly those at the local level, needs to be adopted.
Very few countries have comprehensive SSR programmes that conform with the definition in the OECD-DAC policy statement and paper. Reforms are rarely governed by an overarching strategic framework. The way in which countries define and approach security reforms is usually shaped and conditioned by historical experience and national circumstances which determine what is possible at any given time.
- The SSR concept and terminology is largely unfamiliar to government officials and members of security forces. There is a common perception of SSR as a foreign-driven, often political process.
- Partner country ownership and ‘buy-in’ is critical. However, the SSR concept has thus far had limited ‘buy-in’ in developing countries.
- Strengthening institutional frameworks and overall state capacity for effective planning and policy development is critical to improving security system governance.
- At the regional and sub-regional level, states face broadly similar security needs and challenges, much of which SSR is designed to address.
- More often than not, security reform activities remain narrowly focused on traditional security agencies, such as the military and police, and are carried out in an ad hoc and piecemeal manner.
Developing a shared international understanding of SSR issues, concepts and approaches is essential to laying the ground for more coherent and integrated donor government approaches to support partner countries. The regional survey findings suggest they will be most receptive to SSR where it is presented as a framework to structure thinking about how to address their security problems, rather than as a template for donor assistance.
- Donors need to develop comprehensive development programming strategies to help with coherence and avoid piecemeal efforts, where possible.
- SSR priorities must be developed against the background of a multi-sectoral assessment of a partner country’s security needs – governments should be encouraged to develop workable multi-sectoral strategies.
- Donors must develop methods of working through local actors and develop country and context-specific SSR approaches.
- The concepts and institutional structures that guide security provision need to be ‘homegrown’, and reflect local needs, priorities and circumstances.
- The democratic governance of SSR requires regional approaches, but ones which recognise that needs, priorities and circumstances governing SSR differ substantially by region.
- Effective SSR requires a range of whole-of-government frameworks and mechanisms – to include development cooperation, diplomacy, trade, finance and investment, and defence.
