4. Local ownership of SSR is the ultimate goal in peace building. However, that
does not free the UN and member nations from responsibility. In the long-term,
the UN and others will have to monitor, evaluate, and commit resources to
ensure SSR is being done effectively and according to peace agreements.
Event Description.
This lesson is based on the report "Security Sector Reform Provisions in Peace
Agreements," African Security Sector Network, January 2009, a publication of the
Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR), University of
Birmingham, United Kingdom.
h. TOPIC. DDR as a Component of Security Sector Reform ( 1157 )
Observation.
Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) does not come about
by accident; it requires foresight, detailed planning, adequate resourcing, and
continuous assessment. Indicators for success need to be closely monitored and
the window of opportunity exploited once it presents itself.
Discussion.
DDR plays a critical role in the restoration of lasting peace and stability, paving
the way for Security Sector Reform (SSR). DDR needs to be preceded by a
comprehensive peace process involving all the warring factions. The DDR
program must be sufficiently sponsored/supported at the outset, because it is
manpower intensive and resource consuming. In launching and executing the
program, broad-based notifications/announcements about the DDR program are
essential; key avenues are the media, social networks, advocacy groups,
churches, and governmental leadership at all levels.
The emphasis during Demobilization and Disarmament needs to be on the
accountability of ex-combatants, their weapons, their exact numbers, and their
disposition. Special attention must be placed on the locations of mines/
minefields, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and bomb-making materials.
In the case of mines/minefields, this has oftentimes proven difficult because they
were unmarked, and ex-combatants did not have relevant maps to use as
references. The emphasis during Reintegration is still on ex-combatants,
however, an array of resources/actors must become involved – social workers,
psychologists, the judiciary, and other independent bodies – in order to ensure
that the process is transparent, open, and fair.
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