Security Sector Reform, Democracy, and the Social Contract: From Implicit to Explicit

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This paper asserts that there is a tension between traditional development paradigms and the post-Cold War leitmotif of democratisation which is as yet unresolved within the present SSR discourse. This tension is identified between what the paper describes as the developmental objectives of SSR, and its inherent democratic articulation. The paper argues that democratic principles remain the organisational logic within which SSR processes are conceived as taking place; a democratic environment is supported in order for the purpose of SSR – development – to be achieved. The paper takes issue with this model, and advocates for two alterations in the present SSR discourse. First, that SSR should be viewed as a democratising endeavour, specifically focused upon the security and justice processes, but retaining democracy as its intended measurable output. Second, that the conceptual device of the ‘social contract’, that describes the citizen/state relationship, should become a pivotal consideration when conceiving and delivering support to SSR processes.

Rethinking Post-War Security Promotion

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The intensity and complexity of post-war violence routinely exceeds expectations. Many development and security specialists fear that, if left unchecked, mutating violence can potentially tip ‘fragile’ societies back into war. An array of ‘conventional’ security promotion activities are regularly advanced to prevent this from happening, including disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and other forms of security sector reform (SSR). Meanwhile, a host of less widely recognised examples of security promotion activities are emerging that deviate from – and also potentially reinforce – DDR and SSR. Innovation and experimentation by mediators and practitioners has yielded a range of promising activities designed to mitigate the risks and symptoms of post-war violence including interim stabilisation measures and second generation security promotion interventions. Drawing on original evidence, this article considers a number of critical determinants of post-war violence that potentially shape the character and effectiveness of security promotion on the ground. It then issues a typology of security promotion practices occurring before, during and after more conventional interventions such as DDR and SSR. Taken together, the identification of alternative approaches to security promotion implies a challenging new research agenda for the growing field of security and development.

The Afghan National Development Strategy: The Right Plan at the Wrong Time?

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In 2005, the Government of Afghanistan initiated a process leading to the formulation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS). The ANDS was formally launched at the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan in Paris on June 12, 2008. According to the Paris Conference Declaration, the strategy will be the "roadmap for joint action [by donors and the Afghan government] over the next five years and sets our shared priorities."

This paper examines whether the ANDS, in fact, is strategic. It begins with a brief analysis of what a strategy is before providing an overview of the goals and structure of the ANDS. It then turns to an analysis of its substance, particularly the nexus of security and development. It argues that, while the ANDS does articulate a vision with high-level goals and clear enabling objectives, it does so on the basis of fundamentally flawed assumptions about the nature of Afghanistan’s political, economic, and social realities – including the capacity of the Afghan state for implementation – thereby jeopardising the very vision it sets out to attain.