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| Second GFN-SSR Advisory Group
Meeting |
The GFN-SSR Advisory Group met on Wednesday
26th April to review the first three months of the GFN’s
activities and look at the future requirements and strategy.
All agreed that the GFN had been successful at launching its
website in less than three months. Ideas were discussed on how
the website could be further enhanced and refined in its next
phase of development to meet the overall strategic objectives
of the GFN and to underpin its networking strategy.The group
discussed the importance of coordinating, consolidating and
activating existing regional and sub-regional networks, particularly
to promote south-south dialogue and cooperation. Many of these
networks operated informally and formally, but lacked the resources
to reach out beyond their own regions. It was suggested that,
because a number of sub-regional groups lacked the internet
connectivity required for daily access to the GFN-SSR website,
a CD-ROM should be produced on a quarterly basis and distributed
to certain information centers in these areas. Facilities such
as current and back issues of the Journal of Security Sector
Management, the searchable database, the newsletter and the
learning materials should be disseminated.Ideas were also discussed
about ways in which the GFN-SSR could add value to the existing
networks. It was felt that, as a global network, the GFN should
play a leading role in bringing these other networks closer
together. Dr. Johanna Mendelson-Forman, of the UN Foundation,
was invited as a guest of the Advisory Group. She gave a brief
presentation on how the UN Foundation was keen to build a Global
Network for the UN, its partners and its field offices, and
questioned whether or not this might be done in co-operation
with the GFN. This idea was combined with feedback from the
Forum the day before which suggested the need for an African
meeting of regional and sub-regional networks. Advisory Group
members felt that this could be combined with engaging representatives
from Latin American networks to promote south-south cooperation;
a project that could be organized jointly between the GFN and
the UN Foundation. It was further suggested that the model then
be used to bring Asian and African networks together.Other ideas
included developing terms of reference for a GFN scoping study
to identify all existing regional and sub-regional networks
in Latin American and the Caribbean, African, Asia and Europe.
It was suggested that the GFN could coordinate a catalogue of
best practice for different SSR programme areas. This would
involve gathering generic material that had already been documented,
as well as writing up undocumented cases. This would entail
working with UN organizations, the UK Government’s Defence
Advisory Team, and other implementation agents who may have
records of these activities.
View the full paper
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