CIAO DATE: 04/04

Visions of the Caucasus

Abstract

When I prepared for this presentation, I assumed that the bulk of the conversation would deal with concrete issues of security sector reform. I could then, in looking at the future, step back and discuss the evolving political, economic, and social context in which security sector reform proceeds or does not proceed. However, the preceding papers mainly deal with the strategic, political and economic context. In contrast little was said about security sector reform.

And then there are the events in Tbilisi. When you write a paper about the future, you have a particular view of the present. Velvet revolution or not, the events in Tbilisi have potentially altered significantly the situation on which my paper is based. And not only in Georgia. So, my remarks here under will draw in part from the paper previously prepared, but also from our discussion at the meeting and the ongoing regional events.

I understand that the organizers might have preferred us to focus on specific issues such as how the security sector is organized in the different states of the southern Caucasus, how it is controlled, what its legislative basis is, the development of ties with multilateral institutions such as NATO in the security sector, and how these ties have affected the security sector, and so on. It is not surprising to me that, on the whole, speakers preferred to deal with broader political and geopolitical issues. Security sector reform does not proceed in isolation. It is part of a broader process of transition towards law-governed, transparent, and accountable governance. Security sector reform cannot proceed independently from these wider processes.

Full Text (PDF format, 8 pgs, 20.8 KB)