Building Pathways to Peace: State–Society Relations and Security Sector Reform

SSR is essential for establishing accountable and legitimate institutions to prevent and sanction violence, but donor policies still focus on the state as a provider of security. Second-generation SSR emphasizes the need to include local communities and recognize non-state actors. This Element promotes a radical re-think of SSR in the context of conflict and war, focusing on functional equivalents, minorities, gender, and human rights for design, implementation, and success.

Format: Hardback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 07 December 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

SSR is a crucial component of the transition from war, aiming to establish accountable and legitimate institutions capable of preventing and punishing the use of force. While acknowledging the importance of involving local actors, donor policies continue to primarily prioritize the state as a provider of security. Second-generation SSR has highlighted the need to incorporate local communities and acknowledge the presence of non-state actors in the delivery of security and justice. However, mere recognition is insufficient. This Element advocates for a fundamental re-evaluation of SSR in the context of conflict and war. The guiding question for these considerations is how can security sector reform be established and executed to contribute to constructive and inclusive state-society relations and pave the way for lasting peace? This Element contends that a focus on functional equivalents, minorities, gender, and human rights is essential for the design, implementation, and success of SSR. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

Weight: 268g
Dimension: 159 x 237 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009462662