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34101. The Expertise of Norway in the Parliamentary Control of Armed Forces

Author:
Anders C. Sjaastad
Publication Date:
08-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
The NATO summit in Prague in the autumn of 2002 is scheduled to address the issue of further enlargement of the Alliance. Amongst the most important criteria when assessing the suitability of candidate countries will be the degree of effective parliamentary control with the armed forces, as was the case in the last round of NATO enlargement. That is also why one of the objectives in NATO's Partnership for Peace programme is that would-be members should ensure democratic control of the military. This is a well-established principle of long standing in democratic societies – and for obvious reasons. Even the most cursory look at history demonstrates the importance of ensuring, in any society, that the armed forces are subordinate to democratically elected authorities. Equally familiar are the particular problems facing the countries of Central and Eastern Europe due to the legacy of single party rule and the positions of dominance enjoyed by their military.
Topic:
Defense Policy and Civil Society
Political Geography:
Europe

34102. Armed Forces in Albania and Civil Society

Author:
Aliaj Illir
Publication Date:
08-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
Like the rest of the East-European countries, Albania has been going through the communist dictatorship for quite a long time, but it should be noted its communist regime differed from that of the other countries. Undeniably, Albania was the most isolated and totalitarian regime in the East. The armed forces went through one of the darkest periods of their history.
Topic:
Civil Society and Ethnic Conflict
Political Geography:
Europe

34103. Border Control Services and Security Sector Reform

Author:
Alice Hills
Publication Date:
07-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
This paper provides a baseline of knowledge and reference materials to support future work on the role of border control services in security sector reform (SSR). It summarises the current state of research on border control services in the broader context of SSR, examines the discursive field, and identifies the relevance to border services of the concept of democratic control.
Topic:
Security, Defense Policy, Civil Society, and Politics

34104. Civil-Military Relations Theory in the Post-Communist World

Author:
Daniel Zirker and Costas Danopoulos
Publication Date:
07-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
The pivotal role of soldiers in warfare, empire building, and national security has been the subject of epic poets, historians, and other social scientists since time immemorial. By comparison, one finds precious little on the role military officers played in domestic politics, despite the fact the soldiers overthrew emperors and other office holders, installed new ones, and influenced government decisions in prehistoric, ancient, and modern societies. Yet, beginning with WWI, a series of major political, social, and economic developments, including the travails suffered by newly independent countries,stimulated empirically oriented social scientists to seek to understand the critically important role the armed forces played in the domestic politics of old and new societies alike. This gave birth to civil-military relations as subfield of comparative politics.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Civil Society, Democratization, and Politics

34105. Problems of Democratic Control of Armed Forces in Central and Eastern Europe

Author:
Janos Matus
Publication Date:
07-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
The changing role of the military force is one of the most complex issues of the evolving international security system. The new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe experience enormous difficulties in coping with this situation. The sources of problems are only partially financial ones. It is fair to say that difficulties other than financial and material, are even more complex and hard to solve. The proper way of dealing with the military issues is key for the solution of a number of other important problems relating to security. The governments of the new democracies will have to address two basic problems before they justifiably can expect concrete results in this field. First, the leaders of the Central and Eastern European countries will have to realized the need for a well conceived political decision-making process as a precondition for making right decisions on defense issues. This process should be able to integrate different policy options, independent expert views and input from the public as to the preferences of the citizens concerning security and defense. Second, Central and Eastern European countries need new mechanisms and institutional framework both in the governments and in the area of education and research to deliberate basic issues of security and prepare appropriate policy options.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Civil Society, and Democratization
Political Geography:
Europe

34106. The Persistent Problem of Civil-Military Relations in East and Central Europe: a Briefing Note on Democratic Control of Armed Forces

Author:
David Betz
Publication Date:
07-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
Ten years into the post-communist era the transformation of civil-military relations to democratic norms is still a major political issue with the potential to delay, complicate or even thwart the transition to democracy of many post-communist countries. This is the main lesson to be drawn regarding the promotion of the democratic control of the armed forces: the problem is exceptionally persistent. Nowhere in the Central and East European region can we point to a country that has established a totally satisfactory mechanism of civilian and democratic control of its military establishment. Even in new NATO states that have made great strides in this respect considerable problems still remain. To a large degree, the specific problems of civil-military relations differ from one post-communist country to another. The deficiencies of the current system in the Czech Republic, for example, differ qualitatively and quantitatively from those of Russia or Ukraine. Nonetheless, there are some readily identifiable causes of the persistence of the problem of civil-military relations that are consistent across all the post-communist states.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Civil Society, and Democratization
Political Geography:
Europe

34107. Harmonizing Security Sector Reform Defence Agreements Security Sector Reform in Croatia—the Defence Establishment

Author:
Jack Petri
Publication Date:
07-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
This paper offers a survey of several key areas of defence reform, in the broader context of Security Sector Reform (SSR). It does so by presenting a number of issues that demonstrate competing challenges for MOD and military leaders in the reform process. The first section explores the concept of "pre-conditions" for defence reform, and questions the viability of what is implied as an essentially chronological ordering of reform steps or actions. The second section discusses the transition environment in terms of external assistance and what I refer to as the "art of the possible," and this in the context of pre-conditions for defence reform. The third section is a brief comment on The Search for a Security Concept for South East Europe (SEE). The final section deals with defence reform in Croatia.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Civil Society, and Democratization
Political Geography:
Europe

34108. The Relevance of Democratic Control of the Security Sector

Author:
Marina Caparini and Philipp Fluri
Publication Date:
06-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
When the Fourth International Security Forum was held in November 2000, the idea of security sector reform (SSR) was just beginning to spread through those policy and academic communities that deal with democratisation, development, defence and foreign assistance. The emergence of the concept suggested the growing acceptance of a broader definition of security than the traditional definition focused on military security of the state. According to this broader definition, security has nonmilitary elements as well, and the object of security is not only the state, but importantly includes individuals and society more broadly. Security sector reform expands the scope of security to include "public security", or the safety of the individual from threats of crime, disorder and violence. Because security sector reform is focused on the use of public resources to provide security for citizens, there is a necessary focus in security sector reform on state (often executive) institutions and public policy. Such institutions include military forces, policing structures, paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies, border management services, the judicial system and penal institutions, as well as the state bureaucratic structures that exist to formulate policy and manage these institutions. SSR accordingly recommends a holistic approach to reforming state structures responsible for providing security. Although the policy and academic communities promoting the security sector reform concept favour a holistic approach, serious practical obstacles exist in achieving a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the enormously complex public policy domains relevant to security, and the multi-sectoral reform requirements that would inhere in a democratising state.
Topic:
Defense Policy, Civil Society, Democratization, and Politics

34109. Transformation of the Romanian Civil - Military Relations After 1989

Author:
Marian Zulean
Publication Date:
04-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
After the end of the East-West-conflict the Eastern European countries have been struggling to build market economies and democratic institutions. An important issue of democratization is the reform of the armed forces and changing civil-military relations. No one can assess the level of democratization without taking into consideration civil-military relations. Thus, the civilian control of the military has been seen as an important indicator of democratization. Internal and international actors have required the transformation of this relationship as well. In the case of Romania, public opinion as well as NATO has been asking for such a radical change. Now, after 10 years, it is very challenging to see how Eastern European countries, and Romania in particular, have succeeded in changing civil-military relations.
Topic:
Democratization, National Security, and Politics
Political Geography:
Europe

34110. Consolidating Democracy: Professionalism, Democratic Principles, and Border Services

Author:
Alice Hills
Publication Date:
07-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF)
Abstract:
There now exists a broad agreement regarding appropriate standards of democratic border security within Europe. The relevance of professionalism to this convergence process is, however, problematic. Professionalism's meaning is contested and consensual trends cannot represent a 'principle of professionalism'. Yet the notion is valuable because it provides insight into what is distinctive about border services. There are, however, too many variables involved to allow for an easy linkage between professionalism, appropriate service standards, and fundamental democratic principles. The factors affecting transferability are equally complex.
Topic:
Democratization, National Security, and Politics
Political Geography:
Europe