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Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR)

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The Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR)

GFN-SSR works to promote a better understanding of security and justice sector reform through the provision of information, advice and expertise to practitioners, academics and policymakers throughout the world.

Further information on GFN-SSR and the services provided.


SSR Regional Guide Map

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To access geographically-specific SSR information such as Regional Guides, Documents, Events, Organisations and Networks, please click on the relevant region on the map above.

 

What is Security Sector Reform?

Security Sector Reform (SSR) as a concept can be confusing and is often misunderstood. To try and better understand what SSR is, please click here for a brief overview.

 

What's New?

New Book:

CoverChanging intelligence
dynamics in Africa

Sandy Africa and Johnny Kwadjo co-edited this book following a wide collaboration with a range of local actors working on intelligence in Africa, including the African Security Sector Network (ASSN). Sandy highlighted how the book was a response to the dearth of analysis and information of Intelligence in Africa, arguing that the field remained relatively unexplored. She hopes the book will set the tone and climate to generate further analysis, engagement and debate in the field of intelligence services in Africa.

New Working Paper:

Reframing the SSR DebateKey Challenges Facing
Security Sector Reform:
A Case for Reframing
the Donor Policy Debate

This paper was commissioned by GFN-SSR to stimulate reflection and debate about the challenges facing the donor security sector reform (SSR) policy agenda and how these can be met more effectively. With DFID set to issue a new White Paper on Eliminating World Poverty: Assuring Our Common Future, an opportunity exists to take stock of its current approach to SSR.

New Conference Paper:

SSR and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Armed wing of state-building?SSR and
Post-Conflict Reconstruction:
Armed wing of
state-building?

This paper directly challenges some of the popular SSR mythology that has grown around the UK’s involvement in Sierra Leone and the subsequent policy developments associated with SSR. It raises questions about the underlying political assumptions of the SSR process and contemporary SSR material, much of which lacks analysis of underlying theories of SSR relating to broader state building and construction of a liberal peace.

New Topic Guide:

Southern AfricaSSR in Southern Africa

This topic guide provides an introduction to literature on security sector reform (SSR) in Southern Africa. It highlights key issues and priority areas in the regions and countries, and identifies relevant regional and country texts that cover a number of security sectors.

New Policy Paper:

Lighting up the Intelligence Community: A Democratic Approach to Intelligence Secrecy and OpennessLighting up the Intelligence
Community: A Democratic
Approach to Intelligence
Secrecy and Openness

Many governmental and non-governmental publications on intelligence assert that ‘a reasonable balance must be struck between secrecy and transparency’. This formulation is too abstract and non-committal to be of any value. This briefing note begins with an outline of a democratic approach to intelligence secrecy, and then makes practical recommendations on expanding intelligence transparency without prejudicing the security of the country.

New Literature Review:

What is the case for a security and justice focus in development assistance programming?What is the case for a
security and justice focus
in development
assistance programming?
An assessment of existing
literature and evidence

This literature review on security and justice was commissioned by DFID and is intended to support the preparation of the new DFID White Paper on ‘Securing our Common Future’. The purpose of the literature review is to find evidence to support the ‘case for security and justice’. The key question it asks is why DFID (and other development agencies) should see security and justice as core business?

New Book:

Security System Transformation in Sierra Leone, 1997-2007Security System
Transformation in Sierra
Leone, 1997-2007

Following a core narrative constructed around four key events in the history of post-war Sierra Leone, starting in the mid-1990s and finishing with the successful General Elections of 2007, the work draws on a range of experiences from the process that may be used to inform future SSR policy and implementation, in Sierra Leone and elsewhere. SSR primarily grew out of governance as a response to the urgent problems on the ground in Sierra Leone and was supported by involvement from DFID, FCO and MOD and other Whitehall departments. This involvement is documented from different perspectives in the book.


  • University of Birmingham
  • Department for International Development
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  • UK Ministry of Defence

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