§ 17. Mr. SavidgeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the progress of her Department in promoting security sector reform. [111189]
§ Clare ShortOur policy on security sector reform in developing countries is set out in our policy statement on "Poverty and the Security Sector" which was launched in March 1999.
In many countries bloated, ill-disciplined security sector forces, absorbing disproportionate resources, abuse their power and sometimes lead to coups and conflict which hold back development and cause the growth of poverty. We are focused primarily on providing assistance to strengthen the democratic accountability and transparency of the security sector and where appropriate to facilitate the transition to peace. We are also working to improve objective assessment of threat and security services of appropriate size and that are properly trained.
We are currently working in this way with the FCO and MOD in Sierra Leone. We have funded a number of projects involving both UK and Commonwealth officials who are working very closely with the Government of Sierra Leone on a wide range of governance and security sector reform measures. Positive steps are also being 295W made in Nigeria, where the three Departments are supporting the Government of Nigeria in its efforts to reform the security sector.
A copy of DFID's policy statement on Poverty and the Security Sector, along with the two papers and speeches from the February symposium have been placed in the Library of the House.