Start Date
4-24-2018 6:00 PM
End Date
4-24-2018 6:30 PM
Disciplines
Socio-Economic Issues
Description
Security sector reform is a fairly new concept in the world of political development. Security sector reform often requires the development of various agencies and actors within the government, prompting high costs as these developments occur. However, in light of the recent economic crisis, there has been little economic growth in the Western Balkan countries. Despite this lack of growth, security sector reform has continued to occur. This paper seeks to answer to what extent each country’s economic development (or lack thereof) has impacted their security sector reform. Using the definition established by the OECD, this paper analyzes security sector reform in three countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Greece. The first two countries analyzed are current analyses, while the third is a historical analysis of Greece’s security sector reform including the initial security sector reform after democratization. The analysis is completed using the four sectors of security sector reform listed in the OECD’s definition – core security actors, security management and oversight bodies, justice and law enforcement institutions, and non-statutory security forces – to measure growth in the security sector. In each country analyzed, the growth in these sub-sectors of security reform will be compared to the growth or lack of growth in that country’s GDP to understand how security sector reform is financed, and if there are elements outside of a country’s GDP that impact how they fund reform of their security sectors.
Security Sector Reform in the Western Balkans: An Economic Perspective
Security sector reform is a fairly new concept in the world of political development. Security sector reform often requires the development of various agencies and actors within the government, prompting high costs as these developments occur. However, in light of the recent economic crisis, there has been little economic growth in the Western Balkan countries. Despite this lack of growth, security sector reform has continued to occur. This paper seeks to answer to what extent each country’s economic development (or lack thereof) has impacted their security sector reform. Using the definition established by the OECD, this paper analyzes security sector reform in three countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Greece. The first two countries analyzed are current analyses, while the third is a historical analysis of Greece’s security sector reform including the initial security sector reform after democratization. The analysis is completed using the four sectors of security sector reform listed in the OECD’s definition – core security actors, security management and oversight bodies, justice and law enforcement institutions, and non-statutory security forces – to measure growth in the security sector. In each country analyzed, the growth in these sub-sectors of security reform will be compared to the growth or lack of growth in that country’s GDP to understand how security sector reform is financed, and if there are elements outside of a country’s GDP that impact how they fund reform of their security sectors.
