Almanac on Security Sector Oversight in the Western Balkans
Author: Franziska Klopfer and Douglas Cantwell
Date: 2012
Volume: 305 pages, pdf
Description
This publication aims to provide an independent research-supported overview on the key achievements and weaknesses in the accountability of security sectors of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia and to and what effect this has on the countries’ democratic transition. While official cooperation and exchange between Western Balkan states have significantly improved in the last few years, the transparency of security governance across the region is still weak. Information about which security actor is in charge of which domain, what their competencies are, who controls different actors and what their budgets are is not consistently available in all countries. This lack of transparency impedes national oversight of the security sector and also hinders the confidence building necessary for regional security cooperation. In a post-conflict environment where security issues are still predominantly discussed from collectivist and ethno-nationalist perspectives, greater availability of information and analysis based on thorough research could help prevent the emergence of new security dilemmas.