Security Sector Reform in an Unstable, Fragile State (II/III)

The policy brief examines two obstacles to effective security sector reform in an unstable and fragile state and outlines steps to address them. The brief begins by introducing the concept and purposes of security sector reform and the poor track record of efforts to conduct security sector reform in post-conflict and conflict environments. This leads to an examination of two crucial challenges to security sector reform in unstable, fragile state environments such as Afghanistan and Iraq: the gap between the progress of civilian and military institutions in the fragile state, and the politicization of the military. It concludes by outlining
measures to address both challenges in order to advance a more effective approach to security sector reform in an unstable, fragile state.