The Civil Society Working Group on Security Sector Reform (SSRWG) is a non-political, not for profit organization that came into existence on August 30, 2006, when the need to develop a core of civil society organization that will focus on issues relating to Security Sector Reform and Governance in Liberia became of paramount concern to major CSOs actors such as the Liberia National Law Enforcemen
t Association (LINLEA). Since its establishment, the SSRWG has collaborated with the requisite security institutions, CSOs as well as international partners and other organizations to help monitor the SSR process in Liberia from a CSO point of view and at the same time ensuring by means of constructive advocacy and interventions that there is adequate reform of the sector in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) in Accra, Ghana and along international best practiced as well. The Working Group is a loose coalition that is made up of 12 national CSOs and its day to day activities are handled by a Secretariat that is headed by a Coordinator. The Working Group was established with the following objectives:
• To create a core group of local expertise from CSOs on SSR/Security related issues;
• To enhance public understanding of the current SSR situation in Liberia and organize a coherent, systematic and well coordinated civil society approach;
• To create a forum for dialogue, discussions and analysis that will address key concerns of CSOs on issues of SSR in Liberia and gage CSOs’ position on matters such as civilian oversight of the security sector, etcetera;
• To conduct independent research on SSR and security issues in Liberia, the Mino River Union, etc, and publish reports that would inform and influence government policies, legislative actions, and enhance public understanding of current SSR and security issues in the country;
• To monitor and evaluate current Government of Liberia’s plans and efforts on SSR and make meaningful interventions
• Provide an alternative source of expert opinion on security policies to the government (Executive and Legislative Branches), the general public and others. The SSRWG has been involved with proffering very important recommendations as well as drawing up policy documents that have the tendency to make the Liberian security sector more responsible, professional, transparent and accountable to itself and to the people of Liberia. The Group has over the years had constructive engagements with key stakeholders within the security sector on issues that have to do with the manner and form in which security personnel conduct themselves in public, the roles and responsibilities of security personnel to the civilian public as well as other pertinent issues that relate to improving the standards, image and performance of the security sector. Currently, the SSRWG is implementing a Search for Common Grand (SFCG), Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded project, which is aim at rebuilding the image of the police by means of the creation of friendly engagements between the civilian population and the police with the aim of mending the current sever relationship that exists between the police and citizens as a result of the civil conflict. The project is being implemented in three counties-Grand Bassa, B**g and Nimba Counties. The SSRWG has continued to flag the following issues as very critical to the reform process and as such it is engaging the government, donor partners and other organizations on the best way forward to addressing them.
• Development of an accountability mechanisms that will take into considerations both internal and external oversight measures;
• Security institutions and community partnership which facilitates community participation in crime prevention and control and thus increases the trust level of community members for security institutions;
• Legal reform that looks at the promotion of high professional practices and standards;
• Policy and procedural development for security agencies (departmental handbooks or manuals to guide the conduct of security officers);
• Providing attractive salaries and other incentives for officers so as to make them more committed and professional in the discharge of their duties;
• Prison reform for the purpose of complementing the police and other security agencies;
• The availability of the requisite logistics to ensure that the reform process is successful. ACHIEVEMENTS WITH STAKEHOLDERS
The SSRWG can count as its achievements: the good working relationship it has developed with the Legislative Branch of Government and the presentation of two oversight bills to the legislature for onward passage (the Civilian Oversight Authority Bill and the Private Security Bill)
The Working Group has also scored high marks in its working relationship with the Ministry of Justice and other national security institutions. The Group is currently working along with the police to promote the image of the police and mend the sever relationship that exist between the police and citizens in three project locations (Bassa, B**g and Nimba Counties).
