Security sector governance and reform regional workshop hosted by OSCE Mission to Montenegro

PODGORICA, 19 September 2016 – The OSCE’s role and activities in Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG/R) in South-Eastern Europe, and the challenges and opportunities in the field, are the focus of a three-day regional workshop organized by the OSCE Secretariat with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, from 19 to 21 September in Podgorica. 

The workshop brings together senior government officials and OSCE staff from across the region, as well as international organizations, security experts, academia and civil society representatives. The participants will discuss common challenges of reform efforts in the security sector, and to intensify regional networking as well as the use of synergies among national and international actors.

The new OSCE guidelines on SSG/R at the regional level were presented at the event.  They provide a practical tool to help us provide better, more coherent and effective support to our participating States.

“There is such relevance in reforms in the security sector for the region,” said Deputy Prime Minister Azra Jasavić. “Montenegro's commitment to strengthened regional co-operation efforts remains.”

Dan Redford, Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, highlighted the Mission’s engagement in the area of security sector governance and reform. “Our formal co-operation has focused on a wide range of thematic areas, including defence, law enforcement, intelligence, border management, customs, emergency planning, and judicial reform,” said Redford.

Robin Mossinkoff, Head of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) Support Section, added “the concept of SSG/R offers a valuable contribution to address many of the challenges the region is facing today.”

The regional workshop is the second of its kind this year to promote the OSCE’s role and activities in the field of SSG/R. A similar regional event took place in June in Central Asia. Both are part of an extra-budgetary project that aims to support, build capacity and raise awareness of Security Sector Governance and Reform within the OSCE. The project is supported by Germany’s 2016 OSCE Chairmanship, as well as by Switzerland, Slovakia, Serbia and Austria.