Officials and experts deliver strong message at high-level Bratislava conference: security sector governance and reform can prevent conflict, and is worth investing in

BRATISLAVA, 9 September 2019 – Some 160 representatives, policy makers and national security advisers from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, as well as experts and practitioners from international and regional organizations  and academia, attended today in Bratislava the fourth thematic conference of the 2019 Slovak OSCE Chair, which focused on Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG/R). In particular, the Conference sought to unpack the role of SSG/R in preventing conflict, sustaining peace and promoting comprehensive security for all. 

Slovakia, as the Chair of the Group of Friends on SSG/R at both the OSCE and the United Nations, has worked to promote the role of SSG/R in building peace and preventing conflicts through various international platforms.  

“SSG/R can make a real difference in the lives of people on the ground. This could be the difference between peace and conflict; between security and fear; between prevention and disaster response,” the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Miroslav Lajčák, stressed in opening the conference. He added that partnerships at the international, regional and national level are crucial in taking steps forward to advance SSG/R on the ground.

“The OSCE has already made significant contributions to strengthening participating States’ resilience to crises by helping them to build security sectors that are effective, accountable and with democratic oversight,” remarked OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger. He emphasized that the OSCE fully respects that SSG/R is fundamentally a national process, while noting that a more focused OSCE approach to SSG/R, alongside long-term engagement and strong global and regional partnerships, can provide opportunities for progress. 

The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, emphasised the need to promote good governance in the context of security, which can lead to better protection of human rights, respect for the rule of law and implementation of democratic principles. “While pursuing security sector governance and reform, we must make additional efforts to bring the individual back to the center of security; from the woman victim of violence to the man tortured in detention; from the human rights defender to the peaceful protester,” she said.  

The conference, which will continue tomorrow in Bratislava, is aimed at discussing good practices and lessons learned in strengthening the effectiveness and sustainability of national SSG/R processes, building new partnerships and exploring ways to make best use of the OSCE’s potential and existing capacities in support of SSG/R efforts of states. Experiences and lessons learned were shared from a variety of contexts, spanning the OSCE, the United Nations, the European Union and various national experiences, and complemented by interaction from academics and think tanks. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dačić, highlighted the importance of today’s discussion, noting that SSG/R is even more crucial in a time of growing transnational threats – from transnational and organized crime to cyber threats. Reflecting on the experience of the OSCE Mission in Serbia, Minister Dačić went on to say that OSCE field missions, while respecting the specific needs of states, can play a role in ensuring long-term sustainable capacity building of security sectors. 

Drawing on findings from regional workshops and other activities in 2019, all participants acknowledged that effective, accountable, and inclusive national security sectors, with respect for human rights, full participation of women, and the rule of law, effectively contribute to long-term comprehensive security and lay the foundation for peace and sustainable development for a state and its people.