Events

Under Saddam Hussein, a complex web of intelligence and security institutions protected the regime and repressed the Iraqi people.  Underfunded and mismanaged, the Iraqi police were least among those institutions and unprepared to secure the streets when Coalition Forces arrived in 2003 and disbanded the rest of the security apparatus.  Iraq’s police forces have made important strides, and some 400,000 Iraqi police have been trained and stationed across the country.  However, with the U.S. drawdown in Iraq, the future of the Iraqi police and U.S. police assistance is uncertain.  On February 29, the United States Institute of Peace and the Institute for the Study of War will co-host a panel of distinguished experts who will discuss the history of the Iraqi police and the U.S. police assistance program in Iraq. 

Police corruption is a universal challenge in peacebuilding.  On November 16, 2011, USIP hosted a panel of distinguished experts who discussed the root causes and potential remedies.

In the aftermath of war, two processes are vital to successfully manage the transition to stability: disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR).  On September 12, 2011, the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a panel of distinguished experts with combined experience implementing DDR and SSR in Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, the Balkans, Somalia and Haiti.

Seven U.S. federal agencies spend billions annually on training and equipping foreign police. On July 8, field experts from USAID, the Justice Department, the Defense Department, and USIP examined innovative new approaches to U.S. foreign police assistance and introduced USAID's new Field Guide.

On June 30, 2011, the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted an international conference on Security Sector Transformation in North Africa and the Middle East. 

In November 2005, the United Nations announced the completion of its program to disarm and demobilize more than 60,000 members of the Afghanistan Military Forces. How did the simultaneous Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR) impact the Afghan government’s ability to assist Coalition Forces to create a safe and secure environment?  

USIP featured an introductory briefing of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) followed by a meeting of USIP's Security Sector Reform Working Group to discuss findings of a forthcoming USIP Special Report on "The European Union’s Experience With Security Sector Reform."

A panel of experts discussed current U.S. policy toward security assistance and reviewed a new USIP Special Report entitled "Institutionalizing Security Sector Reform: Options for the USG” by Gregory Hermsmeyer.

Maritime security adds an extra dimension to security sector reform (SSR).  All the aspects of land SSR apply, but there is an additional need for capacity and resources to counter threats of piracy, terrorism, pollution and trafficking.

Police and military forces are the first line of defense against corruption, but they can also engage in corrupt practices. What are the best practices for dealing with corruption, particularly in countries emerging from conflict? USIP's Security Sector Reform Working Group discussed these questions.