BuaNews (Tshwane)
David Masango
7 November 2007
Cape Town — Professional, effective and accountable security services are important for establishing lasting peace and development worldwide, says Foreign Affairs Minster Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Security services have an important place in society, in particular the military, the police, the intelligence services and the judiciary, Dr Dlamini Zuma said, addressing the International Workshop on Security Sector Reform (SSR).
The minister is co-hosting the event with her Slovakian counterpart Jan Kubis, who is currently visiting the country to hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart.
The two-day workshop, which kicked off Wednesday, is themed: Enhancing United Nations Support for SSR in Africa: Towards an African Perspective.
The workshop amongst others focuses on initiating a process through which security sector debate in all its aspects is promoted in Africa, the Department of Foreign Affairs explained in a statement this week.
The department said the meeting will allow Africa to contribute towards developing a common concept on SSR for the UN.
"The international workshop, therefore, will serve the twin purposes of promoting dialogue on security sector reform in all its aspects in support of common African peace and security agenda, also allowing for the sharing of African experiences in SSR to assist in defining roles that the UN could and should play in support of these initiatives," it added.
It will also focus on the needs, concerns and perspectives of African countries that are already engaged with the UN in SSR activities on the ground with a view to exchange information and improve support to the operations.
Dr Dlamini Zuma told delegates that the workshop came about as a result of the good cooperation South Africa has had with Slovakia during a time when they were both serving as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
"Our cooperation in this area was also informed by our understanding of the relevance and the centrality and complexity of security sector reform in all efforts of the international community aimed at bringing peace, security and development to the world.
"We were therefore particularly pleased that this workshop could, among its objectives, seek to contribute and complement other initiatives aimed at helping Africa articulate a vision of security sector reform, and thereby also contribute to the discussions at the level of the AU and the UN," she said.
She expressed hope that the outcome of the discussions over the two days would support similar initiatives at the AU and the UN.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Kubia said the two countries saw eye-to-eye on many issues and co-operated well.
"We are very glad that also, on this issue, we have been able to join forces, and hold this meeting in South Africa," he said.
Minister Kubis explained that for Slovakia, SSR had been chosen as the country's topic of interest during its tenure of the non-permanent seat on the UNSC, adding that it was the theme during the Slovakia's Presidency of the Council in February.
"I am very glad that after the meeting that was well attended by representatives of the UN family and member states we were able to issue a Presidential Statement as one of the outcomes of the meeting.
"[UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon] will, in turn, present a report on SSR and we are eagerly anticipating this report. We, as Slovakia are hoping the report will be presented soon so that we will have a chance to be part of the discussions on this report," he said.
He added that SSR was important for Slovakia because it confirmed that it was not only important to have SSR in countries with conflict but that it was also important to all countries.
"Even in Slovakia, we experienced a period of transformation during which we saw the contribution the reformation of the security sector can make to the overall development of a country," he said.
He said that through that holistic reform that encompassed areas like the judiciary; law enforcement agencies; general democracy; human rights; Slovakia managed to create a good environment that enabled it to move forward in its economic and social development, and therefore became more attractive to foreign investors.
"Unless SSR is part of the overall reform and transformation of a country, it is not attractive to foreign investors and is therefore unable to attract foreign direct investment," he stressed.
Delegates attending the workshop include the Minister of State of Interior of Ghana Nana Obiri-Boahen; the Deputy Minister of National Defence of the Democratic Republic of Congo Nelson Paluku and the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission of the AU Patrik Mazimhaka.
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