Routledge Handbook of Security Sector Reform

Introduction: State of the Art: Security Sector Reform’s Scholarly Breadth, Depth, and Policy Relevance, Sandy Africa, Aries A. Arugay, and Hans Born  Part I: Concepts and Theories  1.     Non-Traditional Security, Mely Caballero-Anthony and Julius Cesar Trajano  2.     Security Sector Governance, Heiner Hänggi  3.     Climate Change, Gabriela Manea   4.     Coup d’États, Aries A. Arugay  Part II: Security Sector Reform Contexts  5.     Development, Paul Jackson   6.     Peacebuilding, Henk-Jan Brinkman and Christophe Pradier  Part III: The International Dimensions of SSR  7.     Local Ownership, Timothy Donais  8.     Regional Organisations, Gustavo de Carvalho  Part IV: The Security Sector: Security Providers and Oversight Institutions  9.     Armed Forces, Querine Hanlon and Alexandra Kerr  10.  Law Enforcement Agencies, Sean Tait  11.  Intelligence Services, Sandy Africa and Siphokazi Magadla  12.  Penal Institutions, Uju Agomoh  13.  Parliaments, Hans Born and Daniel Reimers  14.  Ombuds Institutions, Luka Glušac  15.  Civil Society, Aries A. Arugay  Part V: Cross-cutting Issues  16.  Gender Inclusivity and Equality, Pravina Makan-Lakha and Rumbidzaishe Matambo  17.  Human Rights, Linda Borgheden  18.  Transitional Justice, Alexander Mayer-Rieckh  19.  Small Arms and Light Weapons, Marco Baccini and Gian Giezendanner  Part VI: Cases Studies  20.  Western Balkans, Filip Ejdus  21.  Latin America, Igor Acacio and Andrew Ivey  22.  Sub-Saharan Africa, Anthoni van Nieuwkerk and Emmanuelle Lena Mukendi  23.  Middle East and North Africa, Andrea Cellino and Roberta Maggi

Biography

Sandy Africa is the Research Director of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) and a Research Associate in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria. She is the author of Well Kept Secrets: The Right of Access to Information and the South African Intelligence Services (2009).

Aries A. Arugay is Professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He is also Visiting Senior Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies-Yusof Ishak Institute (Singapore) and Editor-in-Chief of Asian Politics & Policy. He is co-editor of Games, Changes, & Fears: The Philippines from Duterte to Marcos Jr. (2024).

Hans Born is Head of Research and Training at DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, Switzerland. He is editor of several books, including Democratic Control of Intelligence Services (2011), International Intelligence Cooperation and Accountability (2011), and Civil-Military Relations in Europe (2006).

“This handbook lands at exactly the right moment—at a time of growing security concerns, this book cuts through the noise with a precise and uncompromising analysis of how democratic governance, accountability, and the rule of law must be strengthened in security institutions worldwide. Let’s be honest: Europe is facing threats we can no longer ignore. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, hybrid attacks, the rise of authoritarian regimes, disinformation campaigns, and a creeping erosion of democratic norms—these are not abstract dangers, they are daily reality. And they demand security sectors that are resilient, transparent, and firmly rooted in democracy. What impresses me most is the book’s rare combination of academic depth and political relevance. It doesn’t get lost in theory; it speaks directly to the challenges that policymakers grapple with every day. The editors and contributors confront old problems with new clarity and tackle emerging threats without hesitation. This volume is not just helpful—it is essential. A must-read for anyone who takes democratic security governance seriously and refuses to look the other way.”

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the Security and Defence Committee, European Parliament

'The Handbook makes a compelling case that with the shift in the security landscape, security sector reform is necessary to align security provision, management, and oversight with the principles of good governance. The book does so by engaging with key concepts, different international perspectives, and divergent disciplinary views, which collectively make this a valuable contribution to the field.'

Lindy Heinecken, Associate Professor of Sociology in the Sociology and Social Anthropology Department at Stellenbosch University, South Africa

'The chapters in this handbook will resonate with scholars working on civil-military relations and democratic transitions. For scholars in the Global South, where SSR has too often arrived as a donor prescription rather than a domestically owned process, this handbook will be very relevant in that it provides examples of best practices and cases that show SSR needs to home-grown to be sustained. The handbook’s deliberate effort to balance Western and Global South voices, and to draw on cases across various region, including Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, gives it a genuine comparative reach'.

Philips Vermonte, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Islam International Indonesia