About the project

The three-year regional project Security for All that is co-funded by the European Union aims at contributing to actions and institutions ensuring that security provision (at local, national and regional level) is more accountable, responsive and equitable to the security needs of the population. Civil societies’ participation in processes of Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG / R) shall be strengthened through empowerment of respective civil society actors and triggering of dialogue between all stakeholders of the security sector. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) shall inform decision-making processes and contribute to agenda setting, public oversight as well as public debate in the field of security sector reform processes nationally (in Cameroon, Mali and Nigeria) and regionally in West and Central Africa.

What is the project approach?

Local, national and regional challenges to peace and security as well as democratic governance become more and more complex and intertwined. This is also true for democratic governance of the security sector. The project’s methodology is based on a comprehensive approach consisting of in-country and regional activities in order to build synergies - between actors, issues, and policy levels - and to amplify the impact of the project which is aiming to contribute to a more accountable and inclusive security provision that responds to the needs of citizens in the three countries and the wider ECOWAS region. This will be achieved through cooperating with CSOs, media, the security sector, political decision-makers and academia to encourage regular dialogue and the forming of alliances with the aim of building mutual trust and enable public debate on SSG/R and CSO contribution to agenda setting and public oversight.

In order to obtain the overall objective of the project to ensure that security provision is more accountable, responsive and equitable to the security needs of the population, the project will work on the following four working lines with its respective activities on the national (Cameroon, Mali and Nigeria) and the regional level of Western and Central Africa:

Platforms and knowledge-based monitoring and -exchange: The building of consensus on security threats as a basis for adjusted SSG/R and the formulation of joint policy shall be facilitated.

• Regional dialogue platforms of CSOs, key security actors, national authorities as well as regional and international organisations shall interact, whereby the forming of alliances and coordination in the field of security provision shall be encouraged;
• Young people shall be informed about regional policy frameworks, actors and synergies through study trips to get to know the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS);
• A regional feminist platform shall be established to contribute to actions and institutions that ensure that security provision - at local, national and regional level - is more accountable, responsive and equitable to the special security needs of women.

Mutual trust-building and cooperation: Rapprochement and mutual understanding between CSOs, key security actors, policy makers and citizens shall be facilitated.

• Various participative and inclusive national dialogue platforms will be established to help to create new communities working on SSG / R and to bridge gaps between civil society, policy makers and security institutions. Mutual understanding of each other’s roles and interests shall be encouraged and gaps in SSG and public oversight shall be identified through these dialogues;
• A “safe space” will be built in Gao in Mali where especially marginalized groups can meet to develop joint action on the local level with regard to security issues;
• Alliances of CSOs shall be established.

Capacity development and policy advice: Selected change agents and a younger generation of civil society members, media activists, and security professionals shall be empowered to reflect gender mainstreaming and advocate as well as to support the positive role of media and CSO for the democratic control and reform of the security sector.

• Training of Human Rights Defenders, media and security sector personnel to empower them to take their respective role with regard to civil societies’ oversight and participation in SSG / R.

Analysis, research, and awareness raising: Positions on democratic reform and public oversight of the security sector and the role of CSOs and media shall be reflected in public debates and policy making.

• Studies on subjects like media and advocacy activities on needs of marginalised groups, regional security needs and challenges in Mali or gaps in national SSG / R in Nigeria;
• The launch of an SSG Barometer that shall measure civil societies’ participation and consideration in SSG / R as well as public oversight. Thereby, CSOs shall be enabled to take ownership of their oversight function, public awareness on the state of accountability and inclusiveness of security provision and governance shall be improved and CSOs shall use it to advocate for enhanced public oversight and security policy debates.