Forum for Security Co-operation/Permanent Council meeting highlights the importance of a strategic OSCE approach in assisting national Security Sector Governance and Reform processes

VIENNA, 14 February 2018 – The OSCE, because of its comprehensive approach to security, is well positioned to support States on their national Security Sector Governance and Reform programmes, said speakers at today’s joint meeting of the Forum for Security Co-operation and Permanent Council in Vienna.

The discussions focused on what the OSCE can do to continue to strengthen the effectiveness and coherence of its approach in assisting participating States in their nationally-led governance and reform efforts in the security sector.

The joint meeting was opened by Ambassador Alessandro Azzoni, Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council and Italy’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE, and Ambassador Radomír Boháč, Chairperson of the Forum for Security Co-operation and Slovakia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE.

Azzoni highlighted Italy’s involvement in the OSCE Group of Friends of Security Sector Governance and Reform, a topic which is receiving particular attention by Italy’s current OSCE Chairmanship.

Boháč recalled that Slovakia as a long-term supporter of the Security Sector Governance and Reform agenda in multilateral organizations, hosted the first open deliberation on this topic at the UN Security Council over a decade ago during its Presidency of the Council.

OSCE Secretary Thomas Greminger said that the concept of Security Sector Governance and Reform has much to offer when it comes to strengthening the OSCE’s ability to effectively prevent and respond to complex and interconnected modern-day challenges.

“I greatly appreciate recent efforts to broaden discussions towards a common understanding of Security Sector Governance and Reform in the OSCE context,” he said. “I am convinced that with a more strategic approach to Security Sector Governance and Reform, we can achieve significant synergies through strong collaboration among our executive structures and departments, and by strengthening our partnerships, above all with the UN but also with other international and regional organizations.”

The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, said that the nature of Security Sector Governance and Reform is not purely military as some might argue.

“Maintaining peace and security will not be possible unless human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected and promoted,” she said.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Andrea Orizio, offered perspectives from the Mission’s work in this area: “With its executive structures and network of field operations, the OSCE is the ideal platform for delivering effective, tailored assistance. The OSCE Mission to Serbia has been investing in partnership efforts with the host country and relevant international actors, including in Security Sector Governance and Reform, emphasizing ownership of the reform achievements to ensure their long-term sustainability.”

Ambassador Vladimir Norov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan also shared his experiences from the Central Asia region.

Discussions also highlighted synergies between the OSCE and other multilateral organizations, with speakers familiar with the UN’s work also addressing the meeting.

Alexandre Zouev, UN Assistant Secretary General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions and co-Chair of the UN Inter-Agency Security Sector Reform Task Force, said that Security Sector Reform is a vital element of the UN’s sustaining peace agenda, which emphasizes the importance of addressing the entire peace and conflict spectrum. 

Professional, inclusive, legitimate, and accountable security institutions are critical for peacefully settling disputes, reducing grievances, maintaining law and order, and enable sustainable development, he said. He added that the UN provides Security Sector Reform support not only in peacekeeping settings and special political missions, but also increasingly in non-mission settings in response to preventive national requests for Security Sector Reform assistance.

Ambassador Michal Mlynár, Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the UN in New York said that in order to ensure that Security Sector Governance and Reform efforts contribute meaningfully to sustaining peace, there is a need to continue strengthening partnerships for the effective delivery of support in this field.

“Security Sector Reform is recognized as essential to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16 [peace justice and strong institutions], as well as to related goals such as on gender equality, safer cities, and reducing inequalities. It therefore plays a vital role in strengthening efforts to sustain peace and promote sustainable development,” he said. “The OSCE and the UN have an important role to play in this regard. Through regular dialogue, the UN and the OSCE can also exchange lessons identified and good practices in the development and implementation of policy and guidance and in the provision of Security Sector Governance and Reform support.”