Resources & Tools

Afghanistan police. (Photo: NY Times)
August 2009 | Special Report by Robert M. Perito

In seven years, the Afghan National Police forces have grown to 68,000 personnel, with a target end strength of 86,000. The ANP includes the uniformed police force, which is responsible for general police duties, and specialized police forces, which deal with public order, counternarcotics, terrorism, and border control.

Iraqi police officers during training (Credit: DoD Photo/U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Kevin L. Moses Sr.)
August 2009 | Peace Briefing by Robert Perito and Madeline Kristoff

As part of a push to bolster security in Iraq, the U.S. government declared 2006 the “Year of the Police” and focused on building the institutional capacity of the Ministry of the Interior, which supervises and trains Iraq’s police force.  However, even by 2007, numerous reports described Iraq’s Ministry of the Interior as crippled by corruption and sectarianism, and furthermore represented a major obstacle to developing an effective police force in the country.

Credit: File Photo
April 2009 | Peace Briefing by Liz Panarelli

International actors in Security Sector Reform (SSR) are increasingly taking on roles as “advisors” to Ministries of Interior, Defense, and Justice. Rather than directly implement changes necessary for SSR, these advisors must persuasively articulate suggestions to their local counterparts. Advisors’ success depends on their ability to convey recommendations in a manner that makes change acceptable to their advisees.

Credit: File Photo
January 2009 | Peace Briefing by Robert Perito

While the U.S. and world economies are slowing markedly, Security Sector Reform (SSR) is a growth industry for the private sector. U.S. government employees may set SSR policy and design projects, but implementation is extensively outsourced to private contractors.

Credit: File Photo
September 2008 | Special Report by Sean McFate

Security sector reform (SSR) is essential in the transition from war to peace in conflict zones and is a topic of urgent importance. This report discusses definitions of SSR, the field's emergence, and challenges in current SSR implementation, among other topics.