Security Sector Reform
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Topic and Regional Guides

Topic guides provide an overview of specific SSR themes, with links to key literature in their respective areas. They aim to present concise, relevant and easily accessible information for policymakers and SSR practitioners. Some of the topic guides focus on SSR issues within particular regions.

Regional Guides provide an overview of SSR information – including regional Topic Guides, Documents, Events, Organisations and Networks – specific to that region.

As a complement to the guides, GFN-SSR have produced a list of commonly used acronyms in SSR.


Topic Guide: SSR in Southern Africa

Topic Guide: SSR in South-Eastern and Eastern Europe

Topic Guide: SSR in East Africa

Topic Guide: SSR in West Africa

Topic Guide: SSR in Latin America and the Caribbean

Topic Guide: SSR in the Arab Middle East

Topic Guide: Civil Society and Security

The term ‘civil society’ is often used with imprecision, but is generally understood to encompass areas of activity that take place outside of both the state and the market. It includes a wide range of actors through which citizens can articulate their views and priorities – including non-governmental organisations, grassroots organisations, professional organisations, religious groups, labour organisations and the media.

Topic Guide: Conflict

This guide provides an overview of key topics ranging from the causes, dynamics and impacts of violent conflict to options for interventions to prevent, manage and respond to conflict.

Topic Guide: Private Military Companies

There is a huge overlap in the services offered by Private Military and Private Security Companies. This work can include military combat services (offensive and/or defensive) as well as military training and intelligence, and security for commercial interests and/or government interests, close protection of VIPs, risk assessment and risk analyses.

A Beginner’s Guide to Security Sector Reform

What is SSR and how is it defined? How has SSR developed as part of the International Development agenda? What are the core principles and areas of engagement? This document introduces SSR and suggests some key sources for further reading.

Topic Guide: Security and Development

The inter-relationship between security and development has grown in profile from the early 1990’s onwards, as donors and development practitioners have realised that it is impractical to consider development without taking security and conflict issues into account.