Uzbekistan

Situation analysis:

The concentration of power in the executive branch of government, coupled with the relative institutional weakness of the legislative branch and civil society creates a major challenge for democratic control of security forces in the CIS region. Reforms risk being donor-driven and often tend to focus on the executive actor, with parliaments and the public at large only marginally involved. Parliamentarians and civil society actors often lack substantive expertise on security issues, especially human security. The concept of security is commonly connected with the defence sector and notions of secrecy rather than of common good. The lack of expertise within oversight bodies and watchdog institutions implies that even existing oversight mandates are not always carried out professionally.
 
Proposed programme:

In October 2005 UNDP, together with DCAF (Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces), organized a CIS parliamentary dialogue on security sector oversight. Building on the recommendations from this roundtable and baseline research that sought input from civil society organizations (CSOs), this project was launched to:
•    strengthen democratic oversight of the security sector;
•    enhance the understanding of and national support for human security; and
•    reduce conflicts over security issues.

Anticipated results:

1.    Support for the parliamentary network on security sector oversight will continue, focusing on sub-regional groups.
2.    An inclusive dialogue process will be initiated to increase understanding and cooperation among parliamentarians and representatives of executives, security services and CSOs.
3.    Technical training materials will be developed and trainings will be delivered on oversight techniques and the concept of human security.
4.    Institutional capacity development assistance will be provided in select countries.

Current status:

In the year 2007, the project focuses on the content development for the CSO Handbook. Together with DCAF, UNDP BRC is developing a handbook with the working title ‘Public Oversight of the Security Sector: A Handbook on the Role of Civil Society in Democratic Oversight of the Security Sector and Security Sector Reform.’  The handbook intends to enable CSOs to understand security sector oversight issues and, above all, to give practical guidance to them on how to engage them into security sector policy processes. Practitioners, academics and experts from various backgrounds are involved in writing the book, with a concise emphasis on practicality. The content and case examples cover a wide range of country contexts: post-conflict, transition, newly democratic states, and mature democracies.

14 out of 19 chapters proposed in the Annotated Outline have been drafted. Some are final revised drafts to go under editorial work; some are first drafts, which are currently under review of UNDP and DCAF reading groups. A comprehensive feedback has been and is being provided on each draft chapter, by the reading groups. Consolidated response is then shared with each chapter authors, discussions are held with them and appropriate guidance given to revise the drafts appropriately.

Editorial work and possible stakeholder review group may be shifted to the year 2008 following suggestions by DCAF on rescheduling the project activities and revising the timelines.

DCAF