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The 6th Annual Meeting

Rule of Law Promotion and Security Sector Reform (SSR):
Partners or Rivals?

On 28 and 29 April HiiL convened the 6th Annual Meeting of the Hague Rule of Law Network (HRoLN). Additional co-organisers and sponsors of this meeting were the Warwick University Law School and the Folke Bernadotte Academy.

The aim of this meeting was to explore the many affinities and tensions that exist between rule of law promotion and SSR. SSR is a concept that arose in the late 1990s and have gained importance ever since, though it is still evolving and remains contested. One aspect of SSR that has not been sufficiently studied is its relation to rule of law promotion, both conceptually and practically. Undoubtedly, there is a significant overlap between activities that traditionally fall within the umbrella of rule of law promotion and the more recently developed SSR. Arguably, there are also tensions between these concepts. Seeing for example the concern expressed by some actors that SSR's emphasis on security might override the developmental objectives of rule of law reform. And thus subordinate the demands of justice reform to the short-term interests of the international security community.

During the meeting the group discussed papers that will be published in a special issue of the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law and an edited volume, both appearing in the first half of 2012 with a leading publisher. 

Led by Julio Faundez and Ronald Janse, leading international experts in law and in empirical studies, from practice and academia, came together. This combined approach will form the basis for new insights and potentially innovative recommendations for practice at the strategic, programmatic and implementation level.

See also:

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For more information, please contact Ronald Janse.