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71. The establishment, operability and democratic functionality of the Kosovo Security Force

Author:
Ramadan Qehaja, Haxhi Ferati, Kosum Kosumi, and Florian Qehaja
Publication Date:
06-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)
Abstract:
The idea for writing this policy paper came up as a result of the project drafted by the KCSS experts for “Democratic Control of the Security Institutions”. The initial stage of this project foresaw professional policy paper for “establishment, operability and democratic functionality of the Kosovo Security Force”. The work done for this document would not be finished without the support of partners and donators. First of all, it is worthwhile mentioning the initial support of Kosovo Foundation for Open Society. In particular we would like to thank “Universum” University for allowing space (office) for KCSS purposes.
Topic:
Security, Armed Forces, and Institutions
Political Geography:
Europe, Kosovo, and Balkans

72. Assessment of the Kosovo Security Council role in the security sector

Author:
Florian Qehaja
Publication Date:
12-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)
Abstract:
Kosovo Security Council (KSC) is undoubtedly one of the main pillars of security sector. The Constitution of Republic of Kosovo provides it with the key authority for policy making and advising on security issues. It is worth of noting that other countries have also foreseen Security Council in their legislation, whereby it is called “Council of National Security” or “National Security Council” while in Kosovo, in compliance with the UN Envoy, President Ahtisaari’s Comprehensive Settlement Plan on Status Resolution,1 it is described as Kosovo Security Council.
Topic:
Security, Institutions, and Assessment
Political Geography:
Europe, Kosovo, and Balkans

73. Serbia: Maintaining Peace in the Presevo Valley

Publication Date:
10-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
International Crisis Group
Abstract:
Southern Serbia's Albanian-majority Presevo Valley is one of the rare conflict resolution success stories in the former Yugoslavia. Outwardly, it is increasingly normal, with no major incidents in over three years. Yet, tensions linger: massive unemployment is still the single largest problem but the shadow of Kosovo's future status darkens the political landscape. How Kosovo's final status is determined in the next months will have a profound impact. If formal partition or large-scale violence accompanies independence, the peace could unravel; in a worst case scenario, ethnic cleansing in southern Serbia would be accompanied by significant, cross-boundary, two-way refugee flows. All parties – local Albanian politicians, the Serbian government and the international community – need to work with greater urgency on developing the region's economy and ensuring that developments in Kosovo do not disrupt its peaceful progress.
Topic:
International Relations and Security
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe, Kosovo, Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Balkans

74. Civilians Will Make the Difference in Iraq

Author:
Daniel Serwer
Publication Date:
02-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
United States Institute of Peace
Abstract:
As vice president for peace and stability operations at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Daniel Serwer has for three years supervised a Congressionally-funded peacebuilding effort in Iraq, after a decade spent on Balkans peacebuilding efforts both at the State Department and USIP. This USIPeace Briefing, prepared as testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in early January 2007, presents his personal views, not those of the Institute, which does not take positions on specific policies.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution and Security
Political Geography:
United States, Iraq, Middle East, and Balkans

75. Security Sector Reform in South East Europe – from a Necessary Remedy to a Global Concept 13thWorkshop of the Study Group „Regional Stability in South East Europe” in cooperation with the Working Group „Security Sector Reform”

Author:
Anja H. Ebnöther, David Law, Ernst M. Felberbauer, Amadeo Watkins, Matthew Rhodes, Krunoslav Antoliš, Branka Bakic, Jozsef Boda, Dejan Bojic, Reto Brunhart, Alex G. W. Dowling, Svetlana Djurdjevic-Lukic, Saša Janković, Kalman Kocsis, Rudolf Logothetti, Chris Morffew, Ferdinand Odzakov, Neven Pelicarić, Pasi Pöysäri, Jürgen Reimann, Anthony Cleland Welch, and Zoran Šajinović
Publication Date:
01-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Austrian National Defence Academy
Abstract:
This publication is based on the results of a seminar that took place in October 2006 in Cavtat, Croatia. The partners to this project, the PfP Consortium Security Sector Reform Working Group (under the chairmanship of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces – DCAF) and the PfP Consortium Study Group on Regional Stability in South East Europe (under the chairmanship of the Austrian Ministry of Defence), together with the Croat Institute for International Relations – IMO – Zagreb, together with the Western Balkan policy community, reviewed the democratic standards for security sector reform and governance and the development of the preaccession SSR conditionality in the light of the evolving Security Sector Reform concepts of NATO, the EU and other International Organisations.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Democratization, Intelligence, and International Organization
Political Geography:
Europe and Balkans

76. Western Balkans Parliamentary Forum Website

Publication Date:
05-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Abstract:
On 01 November 2006, the initial meeting of the Western Balkans Members of Parliaments took place in Belgrade under the auspices of a Regional SALW Parliamentary Forum. The meeting was organised by SEESAC with the assistance of the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms based in Sweden. Members of the European and EU member states' Parliaments, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Forum for SALW, and UNDP technical advisors and project managers informed the parliamentarians from the Western Balkans about EU SALW strategies and engagement, the involvement of EU parliamentarians in SALW Control, the importance of a national SALW control strategy, and the need for coordinated action and increased parliamentary diplomacy, oversight and advocacy.
Topic:
Security, Arms Control and Proliferation, and Government
Political Geography:
Balkans

77. Launch of the Western Balkans Parliamentary Forum

Publication Date:
05-2007
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons
Abstract:
On 01 November 2006, an initial exploratory meeting for a Western Balkans Members of Parliaments took place in Belgrade. The meeting was organised by SEESAC with the assistance of the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms based in Sweden. Members of the European and EU member states' Parliaments, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Forum for SALW, and UNDP technical advisors and project managers informed the parliamentarians from the Western Balkans about EU SALW strategies and engagement, the involvement of EU parliamentarians in SALW Control, the importance of a national SALW control strategy, and the need for co-ordinated action and increased parliamentary diplomacy, oversight and advocacy.
Topic:
Security, Arms Control and Proliferation, and Government
Political Geography:
Bosnia, Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Balkans, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro

78. International Peace Plans for the Balkans – A Success? 12thWorkshop of the Study Group „Regional Stability in South East Europe”

Author:
Dennis J.D. Sandole, Predrag Jureković, Christian Haupt, Petar Atanasov, Gordana Bujišić, Dušan Janjić, Savo Kentera, Matthew Rhodes, Erwin A. Schmidl, and Wim van Meurs
Publication Date:
09-2006
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Austrian National Defence Academy
Abstract:
More than 15 years after the end of the Cold War, it is clearer than ever that the 'New World Order' has failed to bring about eternal peace, and that we are nowhere near the 'end of history'. People are talking about third and even fourth generation peace operations (erroneously, in this author's opinion, by the way). So a historical perspective to this topic may be justified.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Conflict Prevention, Security, NATO, and International Cooperation
Political Geography:
Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Balkans

79. Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans

Author:
Marina Caparini
Publication Date:
04-2006
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
The states of the Western Balkans region1 differ from other transitional democracies in Central Europe in important ways which affect the conditions and challenges for security sector reform (SSR).2 In their transition from state socialism and authoritarian rule, the Western Balkan societies also bear the lingering material and psychological effects of recent armed conflict and ethnic cleansing. Their security sectors tend to be fragmented, underdeveloped (although some sectors, typically the armed forces, are over-developed for peacetime conditions), over-politicized and structured along ethnic or religious lines. Non-state armed formations, including paramilitary organizations formed along party or ethnic lines, private military companies, criminal groups and guerrilla movements may exist alongside state security structures weakened by corruption. The problems of refugee return, resettlement and reintegration of displaced persons, and return of property remain unresolved in key areas. Individuals and communities continue to be scarred by the psychological traumas inflicted by war and extreme nationalism. Nationalistic (ethnic and religious) divisions persist, and the resurgence of nationalist parties in recent elections throughout the region-followed by the open violence in Kosovo in March 2004-provides daunting evidence of the fragility of both democracy and peace in these societies. In the Western Balkans, the task of SSR must be approached concurrently with post-conflict stabilization. The continued presence of international peacekeeping forces in most parts of the region-including international police forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM*) and the international administrations with wide-ranging internal powers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo-has interrupted the local authorities’ monopoly of security responsibilities for years at a stretch. The goals of SSR, as normally conceived, can only be reached by completing the localization of security functions as part of the general transfer of authority from international actors to national and regional governments. Plans for this normalization could be interrupted at any time by a resurgence of security problems anywhere in the region. The goals of reform and normalization, and external efforts to promote them, must therefore be conceived more in regional terms than has been the case elsewhere in post-cold war Europe. A special complication is the dispute and uncertainty over the ultimate status of Kosovo, which aspires to independence but has been ruled as a United Nations (UN) protectorate since 1999.
Topic:
Security, Peacekeeping, Armed Forces, Reform, and Conflict
Political Geography:
Turkey, Balkans, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina

80. A European Balkans?

Author:
Daniel Serwer, Jacques Rupnik, and Boris Shmelev
Publication Date:
01-2005
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
Abstract:
The Chairman recalled the reasons for holding this particular session. On the one hand, at the Thessaloniki meeting of the European Council (June 2003), the prospect was laid out of the Balkans being included, over time, within the European Union; hence, the title of the session. How that vision is to be fulfilled is obviously very much open to question, which is indeed one of reasons underlying the work of the new International Commission on the Balkans chaired by former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato. On the other hand, short-term events are going to put the Balkans at the centre of European concerns over the coming months in the run-up to the final status discussions in mid-2005: the Macedonian referendum in early November, the deployment of European Union forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina (operation Altea) in December and the rising expectations of Kosovar Albanians following the October 2004 elections. To introduce the session three papers were presented.
Topic:
Security
Political Geography:
Europe, Bosnia, Eastern Europe, Balkans, and Macedonia