Seminar Summary Report: The Constitution and the Security Sector: Enhancement of Democratic Values and Peace

This report summarizes a seminar held in Pretoria on June 6, 2008, which focused on the relationship between national constitutions and the security sector to promote democratic values, peace, and security sector reform (SSR) in Africa.

• The seminar participants discussed the development of national constitutions as guides for creating security sectors responsive to democratic ideals in African states, noting that the political environment determines the extent to which the security sector is appropriate, adequate, affordable, and accountable.
• Case studies presented at the seminar indicated that while some government legal frameworks incorporate democratic principles, the actual depth and width of engagement remain inadequate. Other instances showed a tendency to maintain past provisions that lack normative structure or character for the security sector.
• A significant challenge identified is the lack of resources and capabilities to bridge the gap between the 'hardware' of the security sector (such as armies, police forces, and ministries) and the 'software' (such as policies, legislation, and instruments).

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2008). Seminar Summary Report: The Constitution and the Security Sector: Enhancement of Democratic Values and Peace. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMSUM060608.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Seminar Summary Report: The Constitution and the Security Sector: Enhancement of Democratic Values and Peace. 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMSUM060608.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Seminar Summary Report: The Constitution and the Security Sector: Enhancement of Democratic Values and Peace |date=6 June 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMSUM060608.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2008seminar, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Seminar Summary Report: The Constitution and the Security Sector: Enhancement of Democratic Values and Peace}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMSUM060608.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }