Multi-Stakeholder Security Partnerships

In recent years, partnerships between diverse types of actors have had some success in addressing urgent problems. The chapters in this volume address the opportunities and problems of partnerships between local, national and international actors from the public and private sectors in a particularly difficult field, namely the improvement of physical security in conflict and post-conflict situations. Based on a security governance perspective, thematic case studies explore conditions for the success and failure of multi-stakeholder partnerships in security sector reform, demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of combatants, small arms control and community-based security. The practical implementations of multi-stakeholder partnerships are analyzed in three in-depth case studies. The partial demobilization of the former Kosovo Protection Corps, local security-building efforts in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the disbandment of illegal armed groups in Afghanistan show that multi-stakeholder partnerships can be effective in addressing problems. Their main pitfalls are the asymmetric relations between the various partners. These can easily lead to differing perceptions on the roles of partners, as well as the objectives of cooperation.