David Stillman, Executive Director and Alexander Baldwin, Program Manager of the Public-Private Alliance Foundation took part in a United Nations-hosted seminar entitled “Security Sector Reform (SSR) and Protection of Women in Africa.” The event was chaired by Patrick Hayford, Director of the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (OSAA), on September 15th, 2009. Ms. Ecoma Elaga, a gender and SSR expert from Women, Peace, and Security Network in Africa, presented a working paper that served as the basis for discussion.

Ms. Elaga described SSR as a process to reform or rebuild a state’s security sector, notably in post-conflict or transitional situations, especially as aimed towards ensuring human rights and rule of law. She presented findings and recommendations on how donor agencies, national governments, and international stakeholders can best implement SSR that is responsive to the needs of women. Currently, the greatest challenge is getting actors and stakeholders adequately to budget for and implement existing resolutions and policies. Other main areas of concern were general resource constraints in the sector, need for better monitoring with assured consequences, and strengthened coordination among donors and stakeholders.

Discussion amongst panelists evaluated Ms. Elaga’s paper, and the history and current issues of the security sector in Africa, leading to dialogue on how to proceed in making protection of women and SSR viable.

Adedeji Ebo, Chief of SSR at the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), stated that many security sector institutions in Africa dated to colonial control mechanisms, and in more recent years also had many negative connotations. He thus asked participants to think of SSR in relation to positive strategic objectives of participation and governance. He was glad that African voices were making important contributions to the SSR programs of the UN.

Kristen Valasek, the Gender and Security Sector Reform Project Coordinator at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, highlighted that SSR is a global issue and lessons learned from various stakeholder experiences were helpful in developing a more coherent strategy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Anne Marie Goetz, Chief Advisor for Governance, Peace, and Security at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), lauded Ms. Elaga for her ambitious paper and stated that moving beyond rhetoric remains a problem for gender issues. Ms. Goetz cited that despite the recent focus on economic and social empowerment for women, currently only a minuscule portion of donor funding is invested in gender-focused programs, and with little input from the countries where programs are implemented.

Speaking in the open dialogue, Stillman urged that the proceedings lead to practical outcomes linking public and private sectors and all relevant stakeholders. He noted the DPKO Gender Resource Package for Peacekeeping Operations (2004) and mentioned his previous work for OSAA on human security in Africa (Dec. 2005). Ms. Goetz responded to Dr. Stillman’s contribution as saying it was imperative to follow up with relevant United Nations agencies to generate tangible outcomes.

Regarding follow-up to this seminar, Ms. Mieko Ikegame, Senior Adviser of OSAA, mentioned that the outcome will be fed into ongoing activities related to the various inter-agency task forces such as those on SSR, DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) and Africa. OSAA also intends to make the outcome available to UN Member States through regular contacts with African missions as well as the members of Friends of OSAA.

Mr. Hayford concluded the meeting by stating that OSAA intended to continue to foster discussions and documentation that could contribute to shaping policies and actions within the UN family and in African countries. The discussion paper will be available in the near future and will be linked to by PPAF when released.

Related Links:

Human Security in Africa by David Stillman

Gender Resource Package for Peacekeeping Operations