What the United Nations is doing for Security Sector Reform (SSR) is the topic of a paper from the UN. It covers such countries as Burundi, Guinea, Haiti, Liberia, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, Congo and Timor.
SSR is not palliative or short-term. It is a core element of multi-dimensional peacekeeping and peacebuilding, essential for addressing the roots of conflict and building the foundations of long-term peace and development. So says Ban Ki–moon, Secretary–General of the United Nations, at the beginning of a new 52-page publication that offers the UN view on SSR. You can download the 52-page document from the UN website.
The UN SSR Perspective was produced by DPKO’s SSR Unit, which serves as the focal point and technical resource capacity for the UN system, as well as national and international partners. This publication, the first of its kind, describes the evolution of the UN SSR agenda and showcases activities in the field and by the SSR Unit at UN headquarters in New York.
Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Assistant Secretary–General for Peacebuilding Support in an afterword says: “We believe that the UN dedication to SSR, as shown in this publication and other ongoing joint initiatives, will contribute to internally shaping our response.”
The SSR Unit focuses on three areas: it supports the rapidly expanding number of field Missions and Offices involved in assisting national SSR efforts. It develops guidance and fosters a normative basis for SSR. It co-chairs the UN Inter-agency SSR Task Force at the working level, and serves as its secretariat.
“UN assistance to national SSR processes goes beyond critical exercises like ‘right-sizing’ the security services or ‘training and equipping’ uniformed personnel. The aim of SSR is to strengthen the entire security sector architecture and values, including by enhancing sector-wide oversight and governance,” says Mr. Hervé Ladsous, Under–Secretary–General for Peacekeeping.
The SSR Perspective offers an overview of the ways in which the UN is engaged in supporting the issue, in partnership with Member States, regional organisations and civil society.
“We need to transform and rebuild the social contract upon which rule of law and security institutions are predicated. Such foundations are essential for sustainably addressing the fragility of rule of law and security institutions and thus to solidify the gains of peacekeeping and peacebuilding more broadly,” says the Chief of the SSR Unit, Mr. Adedeji Ebo.
