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21. Effective Budget Oversight In Botswana: Role of the Legislature and the Office of the Auditor General

Author:
Keneilwe Pearl Marata
Publication Date:
09-2013
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis
Abstract:
This policy brief discusses the effectiveness of public budget oversight in Botswana. It assesses the roles of Parliament and the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) in budget oversight and makes recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of oversight of both organs. The policy brief uses data from the Open Budget Survey (OBS) 2012, and earlier indices to discuss the subject. The OBS is a global assessment of the openness of public budgets conducted biannually by the International Budget Partnership since 2006. Countries are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100 through the Open Budget Index (OBI). Botswana's OBI scores have been declining since 2006; 65 in 2006; 62 in 2008; 51 and 50 in 2010 and 2012 respectively. A score of 50, means that government provides only limited budget information does not enable the citizens to effectively hold government to account for public finance, leading to accountability deficit.
Topic:
Governance, Budget, Finance, and Oversight
Political Geography:
Africa and Botswana

22. Draft Report on the Parliamentary Oversight of the Security Sector in BiH for 2012

Author:
Denis Hadžović and Mirela Hodović
Publication Date:
04-2013
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Centre for Security Studies
Abstract:
Parliamentary oversight of the security sector is considered to be one of the main principles of democratic society and the state. In reality, the importance of this concept is realised in the constant and ongoing strengthening of all the tools utilised to ensure an efficient parliamentary oversight and control of the defence and security institutions, especially in countries undergoing a transitional process. Parliamentary oversight of the security sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in spite of its evident headway in employing oversight functions, has not yet achieved its full capacity. For the purpose of this project, the Centre for Security Studies has prepared a Report draft aimed at providing an assessment work efficiency of the parliamentary committees. This report seeks to address the issue of fulfilling the key-responsibilities in the democratic oversight of the security sector in the year 2012. The objective of this research is to determine the improvement of the overall quality and efficiency in implementing parliamentary oversight of the security sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This segment of civil society involvement is important for achieving greater accountability and transparency of defence and security institutions over which Parliamentary Committees maintain oversight, consistent with positive legislation. This research has thrown up many questions in need of further investigation. Further work needs to be done to establish a more comprehensive discussion amongst the members of Parliamentary Committees and representatives of defence and security institutions, in particular on the need of structural planning and implementing a more efficient parliamentary oversight of the security sector in the upcoming period.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Institutions, Oversight, and Parliament
Political Geography:
Europe, Balkans, and Bosnia and Herzegovina

23. Developing a Nuclear Material Control and Accounting System in Russia

Author:
Dmitry Kovchegin
Publication Date:
12-2013
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM)
Abstract:
When considering the requirements for a global nuclear material accounting system, Russia’s experience in developing its domestic system deserves special attention for four reasons: First, Russia’s nuclear complex includes all of the types of nuclear facilities and nuclear material handling procedures that would be subject to a global system. Second, Russia has significant experience transitioning from an outdated system to a modern one. Third, Russia has operated its nuclear complex in a financially constrained environment and has relied in part on international assistance. Finally, the Russian nuclear complex is managed by many agencies with their own agendas, priorities, and visions of nuclear material accounting. This experience with an interagency environment may be a model for other countries. As a major nuclear power—in both military and civilian applications—Russia possesses all possible types of nuclear facilities, including all types of nuclear reactors, a complete range of fuel cycle facilities, storage sites, and several types of nuclear ships. Russia also possesses a wide variety of nuclear materials, including all types of uranium and various isotopic compositions of plutonium. These materials exist in both items and bulk accounting forms, as well is in a number of physical forms including metals, oxides, solutions, and salts. These materials are subject to a broad range of operations–at both the industrial scale and in smaller quantities for research purposes. Russia is also heavily involved in the domestic and international trade of nuclear materials. This results in a significant volume of nuclear materials transport—to include changes in ownership and in control and accounting requirements and systems. Russia began transitioning from its Soviet-era nuclear material accounting systems in the early 1990s. The Soviet Union was home to a comprehensive nuclear industry and nuclear materials accounting system. Thus, a modern system based on new standards had to be introduced into an operating nuclear complex. This process has confronted many challenges, in part because of the major cultural change that it required. After nearly 20 years of evolving the Russian system, some important issues remain unresolved.
Topic:
Security, Nuclear Power, Regulation, and Oversight
Political Geography:
Russia

24. Developing a Use of Force Policy for the South African Police Service: Workshop Report

Author:
Duduzile Ndlovu and David Bruce
Publication Date:
09-2011
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR)
Abstract:
This report summarises the presentations and discussions held on 21 and 22 July 2011 at a workshop entitled "Developing a use of force policy for the SAPS". The workshop was held at the Emoyeni Conference Centre in Parktown, Johannesburg, and was hosted jointly by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum and the Institute for Security Studies.
Topic:
Security, Law Enforcement, Civilians, Police, and Oversight
Political Geography:
Africa and South Africa

25. Almanac Turkey 2006-2008: Security Sector and Democratic Oversight

Author:
Ahmet İnsel and Onur Bayramoğlu
Publication Date:
07-2009
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
Today it is vitally important that citizens examine the security sector with an aim towards democratization. In order to make such an examination more than just an useless exercise, it must be informed by objective data. Therefore, studies like the Almanac are an indispensable part of examining, debating and researching alternatives to the policies that public and private security actors impose on society, the instruments related to these policies and the solutions that these policies are aimed at. This second Almanac covers the three-year period from the beginning of 2006, when the first study was concluded, to the end of 2008. It also gives some information regarding the first half of 2009. In addition to examining the developments which occurred in the Introduction Ali Bayramo¤lu, Ahmet ‹nsel 2 Turkish security sector during this time, the Almanac also focuses on the discussions surrounding the position of security actors in political and social life. It attempts to summarize the historical background that triggered these developments and thus to elucidate both the continuities and the various divergences from historical patterns and trends in Turkish security sector policy. The most crucial debates in the history of the Republic regarding the political and social position of the security forces in Turkey took place between 2006 and 2008. The debates which followed the discovery of diaries belonging to retired admiral, Özden Örnek, gained new significance with the discovery in 2007 of weapons and ammunition that some retired and active-duty officers had hidden in their houses or buried. A clandestine network of relations between retired and active-duty military officers, police officers and civilians is at the center of the legal proceedings that have become known as the Ergenekon case, which remains on-going. The plans for a coup evidenced by other diaries and documents that came to light after the Özden Örnek diaries and during the Ergenekon investigation, as well as preparation for actions aimed at creating a general sense of insecurity in society, have demonstrated with amazing clarity just how important it is that security sector actors in Turkey be under the supervision of civilian political powers and, most importantly, the parliament.
Topic:
Security, Reform, Democracy, and Oversight
Political Geography:
Turkey and Middle East

26. Protecting the Future: Constitutional Safeguards for Iraq's Oil Revenues

Publication Date:
05-2005
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Open Society Foundations
Abstract:
Published by the Open Society Iraq Revenue Watch, the following report argues that Iraq's future peace and security depend on instituting constitutional safeguards guaranteeing financial accountability and the equitable division of oil revenues. Protecting the Future: Constitutional Safeguards for Iraq's Oil Revenues comes as the new Iraqi government prepares to draft the country's first permanent constitution since Saddam Hussein was ousted. The report urges lawmakers to protect against oil-sector corruption and mismanagement. Protecting the Future also warns of civil conflict unless oil revenues are fairly distributed among Iraq's ethnic and religious groups. In Iraq, rifts over oil revenues run deep, as Iraqi Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen struggle for control of oil-rich Kirkuk. Without constitutional provisions that protect its oil revenues, Iraq is likely to follow the path of so many other natural resource-rich nations that are dogged by corruption and bad governance. Most oil-dependent states have “ultra-presidential” governments, which enable the executive branch to use resource revenues as it sees fit. Protecting the Future explores ways that Iraq can avoid this trap by embedding measures for accountability into the future Iraqi constitution. The report recommends provisions that make clear which agencies are responsible for the development and implementation of the Iraqi budget, and grant oversight of oil revenues to all branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial.
Topic:
Oil, Natural Resources, Governance, Oversight, and Revenue Management
Political Geography:
Iraq