31 May 2013
ACCRA, Ghana – The ASSN and the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) jointly hosted the Fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association for Security Sector Reform Education and Training (ASSET) in Accra, Ghana.
The two organisations co-organised the event in collaboration with the International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). Among the participants were representatives of institutions working on security sector issues across the globe. A total of 45 delegates from ASSET member institutions in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas attended the meeting, making it the largest AGM since the establishment of the association in 2008.
Centred on the theme ‘Supporting the Implementation of Security Sector Reform Strategies within Regional and Sub-regional Organisations,’ the AGM opened with introductory remarks from the ASSN Interim Executive Secretary Eboe Hutchful, KAIPTC Commandant Brig Gen O.B. Akwa, and DCAF’s Assistant Director Anja Ebnöther.
Brig Gen Akwa highlighted the significance role of the AGM in providing a platform for experts and practitioners to discuss SSR education and training. Professor Hutchful commended the ASSET Secretariat for sustaining the annual gatherings since the association’s inception in 2008, noting that ASSET is currently the only vibrant global network focusing on the security sector. On her part, DCAF Assistant Director Anja Ebnöther expressed hope that the wide ranging expertise and experience among ASSET members would promote discussion on ways of overcoming existing challenges and identifying potential areas for ASSET support.
Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Defence, Hon. Ebenezer Terlabi, delivered the keynote address on behalf of Defence Minister Mark Woyongo. In his address, the minister said ASSET’s decision to hold its fifth AGM in Ghana illustrated the increasing attention on emerging SSR processes and mechanisms on the African continent. He welcomed the delegates to share their experiences and discuss best practices so as to help strengthen SSR programmes in Africa.
ASSET is an open and voluntary association of organisations and institutions engaged in Security Sector Reform (SSR) education and training. The 2013 AGM was attended by 40 member organisations, including the ASSN and its affiliate organisations such as the Southern African Defence and Security Management Network (SADSEM), Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) and the Security Research and Information Centre (SRIC).
Seven new institutions were accepted as ASSET members during the AGM. These are the Rwandan Peace Academy (RPA); the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflicts (GPPAC); the Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSOTC); the Zimbabwe Peace and Security Programme (ZPSP); Women in Peace and Security Network – Africa (WIPSEN-Africa); and the Alioune Blondin Beye Academy for Peace (ABBAP). Each of the incoming members was given a chance to make a presentation about their mission, programmes and activities, while the African Union was granted observer status.
The meeting also received presentations on SSR policies and strategies from various regional and sub regional organisations across the globe, including the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Members further explored practical ways of supporting the implementation of these strategies in their various regions.
In the review of ASSET’s activities over the past year, the Secretariat announced a revamp of the ASSET website to include blogs, videos, publications and training materials, an effort they credited to the Regional Centre for Security Studies (RCSS), based in Sri Lanka, which collaborated closely with the ASSET Secretariat to achieve this. A number of other collaborative initiatives were also reported, particularly in the areas of training among ASSET members, between ASSET members and with non-ASSET members. In terms of outreach, ASSET has increased its membership and has established a presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Part of the discussions also centred on moving ASSET forward. Participants made significant contributions on ways in which the Secretariat can function even more effectively, how ASSET can diversify its outreach and grow its membership even more. In this regard, the RCSS offered to host the ASSET Secretariat for the next two years (the ASSET Secretariat is hosted on a rotational basis by one ASSET member, currently ISSAT).
The decision to have the ASSN and KAIPTC co-host the AGM in Accra was made by the 2012 AGM in Geneva, Switzerland. Coincidentally, the 2013 AGM came at a time when both the ASSN and KAIPTC are marking their tenth anniversaries, having been founded a decade ago in 2003.
It was agreed that the 2014 ASSET AGM would be hosted by the RCSS in Colombo, Sri Lanka.