Security Sector Reform and the Competition for Power in Lebanon

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-54
Author(s):  
Guillem Farrés-Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
Independent Institutions

The interest of the Lebanese elites who launched the security sector reform (SSR) process was in to regain control and influence over the security sector more than to create independent institutions respectful of human rights. At a time of deep social and political crisis, not only had these actors lost their previous influence on the security sector but also this sector had become a source of power, largely in the hands of their political opponents, and was being used against them. This case illustrates how power competition between elites can disrupt the process of SSR, or even be the very origin of the conception of SSR programs.

Security Sector Reform in authoritarian regimes: The OSCE experience of police assistance programming in Central Asia

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Authoritarian Regimes ◽  
Fragile States ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Police Reform ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
Post Conflict

AbstractSecurity sector reform — including police reform — has been an important element in international programmes in many post-conflict and so-called 'fragile' states. In Central Asian states — mostly ruled by authoritarian regimes — the OSCE has been engaged in a variety of programmes to help reform the police, which have often been accused of abuses of human rights. There has been a significant police assistance programme in Kyrgyzstan, and smaller initiatives and activities have been implemented in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Most of these initiatives have failed to achieve their objectives; in certain cases they may have had a negative impact on the OSCE's credibility in the region as an organization that promotes a comprehensive view of security, including attention to human rights and civil liberties. The article suggests that external assistance to the security sector in authoritarian political systems poses particularly difficult challenges, if there is no parallel process of political democratisation. In addition, a complex relationship between state security forces and organised crime poses additional challenges to police reform programmes. The article suggests that the OSCE might usefully review its policies to improve its effectiveness in this area and to ensure that its approach remains consistent with its basic principles.

Security Sector Reform and Transitional Justice after the Arab-Majority Uprisings

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Ashour ◽  
Sherif Mohyeldeen
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Transitional Justice ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
The Government ◽  
Fact Finding ◽  
The Military

In Chapter 12, Omar Ashour and Sherif Mohyelden examine the linked demands for transitional justice and security sector reform during and after the uprisings in Egypt. They trace the targeting of security and intelligence forces during the uprising, as perpetrators of particular abuses, and the demands in the post-Mubarak period for transitional justice and specific measures of security sector reform. These were initiated in limited ways, such as through fact-finding committees, but further steps were not taken, and following the coup in 2013, the military authorities did not support reform of the sector or transitional justice. Although human rights and transitional justice bodies were established by the government, few substantive steps were taken and the prospects for reform are slim.

scholarly journals A deep influence: United States-Colombia bilateral relations and security sector reform (SSR), 1994-2002

OPERA ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 35-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Alberto Castrillón Riascos ◽  
René Alonso Guerra Molina
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
The United States ◽  
Internal Conflict ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Colombian Government

The internal conflict in Colombia has propelled the development of security sector reform (SSR) programs; however, these programs have been usually linked to the influence of relations between the United States and Colombia in military and foreign policy terms. The main objective of this essay is to understand said interplay from the mid-1990’s to the early 2000’s, which marked the biggest transformations to the Colombian defense sector in human rights, doctrine, equipment, and human capital. The analysis shows that such influence allowed for the consolidation of an offensive strategy which helped the Colombian government turn the balance of the internal conflict in its favor.

Responsible risk-taking in conflict-affected countries: the need for due diligence and the importance of collective approaches

2012 ◽  
Vol 94 (887) ◽  
pp. 1069-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Bray ◽  
Antony Crockett
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
State Failure ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
Security Forces ◽  
Business And Human Rights

AbstractThis article discusses some of the challenges that may be encountered by companies seeking to adhere to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights when operating in conflict-affected countries. The authors argue that corporate respect for human rights may not be sufficient to correct or compensate for state failure and also suggest that the leverage or influence enjoyed by individual companies in relation to the conduct of security forces and host governments may be limited, particularly in times of crisis. There is therefore a need for a collective approach to human rights risks in conflict-affected countries, and this should focus on public security sector reform and good governance as well as on corporate due diligence.

Policing and the Legacies of Wartime State Predation: Evidence from a Survey and Field Experiment in Liberia

2021 ◽  
pp. 002200272110130
Author(s):  
Robert A. Blair ◽  
Benjamin S. Morse
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiment ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Security Sector Reform ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Sector Reform ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
State Security ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Conflict Period

How does violence during civil war shape citizens’ willingness to trust and rely on state security providers in the post-conflict period? Can post-conflict security sector reform restore perceptions of state security forces among victims of wartime state predation? Using a survey and field experiment in Liberia, we show that rebel-perpetrated violence is strongly positively correlated with trust and reliance on the police after conflict is over, while state-perpetrated violence is not. Victims of wartime state predation are, however, more likely to update their priors about the police in response to positive interactions with newly reformed police officers. We also show that abuses committed by police officers in the post-conflict period are negatively correlated with citizens’ perceptions of the police, potentially counteracting the positive effects of security sector reform. We corroborate our quantitative findings with detailed qualitative observations of interactions between civilians and police officers in the field.

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