Security sector reform and peacebuilding
Fahil Jabbari
Security sector reform is a comprehensive tool for reforming the dysfunctional security sectors of vulnerable post-conflict States in order to establish and build peace, to develop capacities to meet their populations human security needs, or to move from authoritarian rule. Reform of the defence, security and police sector required a political system based on good governance as well as transparency, that the armed forces should be open to different political and social sectors, and that their budget should be available for public debate. Parliamentary oversight of the Ministrys reforms and the progress of those reforms were also essential.
The lack of access to justice for the majority of the population, with a lack of capacity in the justice system, is a serious concern that threatens peace and stability. If the justice system suffers from outdated laws, inadequate personnel, logistical problems, transparency and integrity.
The process of security sector reform can be understood as a set of policies, plans and programmes that will develop the quality and manner of providing security services in society by reforming the States security facility so that it is better able to provide security services to citizens in line with democratic principles, the rule of law and respect for human rights and thus building stable peace. (security sector reform) is a relatively modern terminology, as it relates to talking about security reforms in developing countries and States in the process of democratization or in the aftermath of conflict. The United Nations was the first to speak of the term in 1994 following the fall of the former Soviet Union.
Internal security forces controlled by the Ministry of the Interior include the police, the National Guard, the Judicial Police (which operates in the Ministry of Justice and the courts but is supervised by the Ministry of the Interior), the Intervention Forces (Arms and Special Methods Forces) and the Presidential Guard Forces. The internal security forces are extremely complex and the Ministry of the Interiors organizational chart remains secret. As well as oversight mechanisms within the Ministry, the proposed reform of the security sector can be summarized as a transition from a police system to a police service that can respond immediately to new peacebuilding challenges. A police academy, new salary graduation, professional graduation management mechanisms and a comprehensive emphasis on professionalism and ethics in recruitment, training and promotion must be established. The most valid calls for peace and safety are for reform of police detention practices, police intelligence and surveillance methods. This will require a legal framework that will determine the performance and functions of intelligence institutions and their functions, as well as the privileges and limits of intelligence organizations and their members. Successful political reform in post-conflict States ultimately depends on the establishment of democratically elected civilian oversight of this Ministry of the Interior. In order to meet the challenges of this dangerous period, the State has imposed its legal authority on the main elements of the system and all members of society. The first priority is the restructuring of the internal security forces and the Ministry of the Interior. The second priority is the establishment of democratic governance and control over the security sector.
Security sector reform is always an essential component of long-term peace and development. However, it is important to highlight the role of security sector reform in other areas, such as stabilization and conflict prevention. Security has become the foundation of effective and sustainable development. In order to achieve this function, trained personnel capable of operating in an institutional framework must be provided in accordance with the standards established by law. Mismanagement of security sectors leads to the Governments inability to ensure security. As a result, citizens may seek security in different ways, most of which are illegal and undermining the States prestige. The absence of a State role also results in the proliferation of weapons by individuals and increased crime rates. In any event, a system in which the individual does not feel secure or the Government cannot enforce the law and protect the nation and citizen is not expected to be supportive of democracy, human rights and peacebuilding, nor is it envisaged that procedures based on the principle of transparency will be conducted. The economic factor is highly security-related, neither production nor development without security. as it makes a vital contribution to ensuring stability and is taken into account in multidimensional approaches to dealing with crises, Examples from the Central African Republic show that the deployment of security forces to address difficult security challenges will not succeed unless accompanied by a process of political dialogue to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
In the post-conflict period and during the democratization process, the State is on the brink of moving from a political system to a new political system with new visions and new requirements, and there is therefore a need to develop the security performance of the police sectors to support this transition. Reform, including security, is an attempt to regulate sectors structure, for example: Disbanding illegal police sectors such as the parallel army. The objective of the security sector structure is to bring the principles of democracy, human rights and administrative governance to the security and police sectors For example, what took place in Iraq and a few days after the United States occupation in 2003, The Iraqi capital experienced extraordinary security breaks and widespread looting and looting. In particular, they targeted ministries, government and public establishments, shops, Ba ath party headquarters, the National Museum and some presidential palaces. While Baghdad missed the lowest appearance of the Iraqi Governments police or security forces or the Baath Party s homes ", after falling into the grip of the attacking forces, angry citizens stormed government buildings and ministries, looted everything they had reached their hands and moved them to their homes.
Conflict context analysis and institutional assessment will help determine what constraints and opportunities exist with regard to security and security system reform. Such an analysis would help to determine the focus of reforms and whether the focus should be more on capacity or integrity, and security sector reform (SSR) should be seen largely as a governance issue within a broader range and in the context of reform that strengthens appropriate tools within civil policy sectors. In addition, it is also important to ensure that the security system is an integral part of society - interaction with other components (community, private sector... etc.). The Government itself (including the regulatory framework) is based on the rule of law and must therefore not proceed without enhanced accountability and oversight. Laws and the Constitution must be strengthened with regard to and clarification of the functions of the police and security personnel, identification of actors in the system, and the operationalization of quality standards. The task of the forces is to protect citizens without distinction, in understanding with the judiciary, if security sector reform is not achieved. The outbreak of violence is inevitable, for example in Côte dIvoire, where the failure of reform efforts within the army has led to renewed violence.
Good governance and accountability are at the heart of security sector reform. Perhaps the strongest message from the debates is that programmes exclusively concerned with training and equipping security forces are not effective in improving peoples safety and security and are unsustainable.
We can say that security sector reform is essentially a political process. It must be a process that seeks to change the relationship between the governing elites and the people so that the parties can reach a common goal and a common security vision. We can see the importance of placing policy at the centre of security sector reform through the Central African Republics experience where power-sharing in the security apparatus between the various warring groups will be an essential element in bringing peace.
