This report draws on the discussions and conclusions of a conference on security sector transformation in North Africa and the Middle East hosted by the United States Institute of Peace's Center of Innovation for Security Sector Governance on May 10, 2012. The conference brought together a group of activists from the region with U.S. government and international officials and SSR experts in a morning public forum and an afternoon private roundtable session. There was a general consensus that more than a year after the initial successes of the Arab Spring, security sector reform remained an essential requirement of achieving democracy in transition states.

This report outlines the insights and conclusions of a conference hosted by the United States Institute of Peace's Center for Security Sector Governance from June 30 to July 1, 2011, titled "Security sector transformation in North Africa and the Middle East". The event brought together geographic and security sector reform (SSR) experts from think tanks and the academic community; officials from the U.S. government, United Nations, and a range of other bilateral donors and international organizations; civil society groups based inside and outside the Middle East; and private sector organizations. The conference explored the opportunities for SSR in the wake of the Arab Spring, considering potential entry points for assistance and the challenges faced by international donors and domestic reformers alike. There was a general consensus that the Arab Spring presented an unprecedented opportunity for democratic change in the region, and that SSR, judiciously applied, could help advance that transformation.

The Covid-19 pandemic is not only a health challenge. In the MENA region, against the backdrop of protracted conflicts, instability, and an overall deterioration in socio-economic conditions, the coronavirus crisis adds another layer of vulnerability and has already had long-lasting repercussions on human security across the region. Moreover, as hybrid actors take on an important role as security providers amid the pandemic in a context of limited or absent oversight, risks associated to a lack of accountability, ethno-religious discrimination, human rights abuses, and gender-based violence grow. While classical approaches to security provision tend to portray non-state actors and the State as inherently at odds, the complexity of a rapidly evolving security landscape throughout the region should trigger a revision of the very concept of effective governance. Against this backdrop, how should Security Sector Reform (SSR) strategies and programmes adapt? What lessons can be drawn from selected case studies such as Iraq, Libya, and Yemen?

"The objective of this paper is to highlight the crucial importance of security sector reform during the challenging time of democratic transition. Many security services in Arab countries do not utilize modern management practices or computer-based administrative systems, and lack human resources and career development departments, let alone an inspector general's office to ensure discipline or an internal affairs section to address public complaints. This paper argues that any sustainable governance reform of the social contract in Arab countries in transition is inextricably linked to a new concept of the security sector, based on good governance principles that could permeate a new political consensus, profound institutional reforms and a new legal framework. Security services in these countries must change to serve the public rather than the political interest. For the purpose of accountability, efficiency and professionalism, and in order to create a culture of institutionalization, civilian oversight of the security sector is essential. For their part, new civilian leaders must ensure that the security sector receives proper equipment and an adequate budget, particularly for salaries and training. Security sector reform in the Arab region must be a cultural and ideological discussion, rather than a merely technical one."--Publisher's description.

In this study, which highlights a renewed emphasis in international affairs on regional studies, the co-authors provide an assessment of the revolutionary changes in the politics and security of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

After a decade of popular uprisings and civil wars, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region experiences a deep governance crisis. The transformation, weakening or even the collapse of state institutions has changed the security framework, with direct implications for the safety and security of civilian populations across the region. Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG/R) has to cope with hybridity and institutional fatigue.This report explores the MENA region’s governance crises, providing case studies on Libya, Iraq, Tunisia, and Yemen. How can we effectively bring about meaningful SSG/R in hybrid security orders? In which way is “institutionalised insecurity” challenging traditional patterns of governance in vulnerable settings?