Forsvarsrettet sikkerhetssektorreform : norsk sikkerhetspolitisk bistand til Serbia og Montenegro

The study addresses Norwegian policy on and practices to promote Defence Security Sector Reform (DSSR) in the Western Balkans. Focusing primarily on Serbia and Montenegro, the authors analyse the organisation of the Norwegian DSSR effort, and what the main motivations for the engagement have been. Security Sector Reform, including DSSR, has evolved rapidly since the early 1990s. Whilst being a relatively new term, it has been adopted by international bodies like OECD and the UN, and further developed by pioneer countries like Great Britain and the Netherlands. Norway has only been involved with DSSR projects for a decade, with the Western Balkans as a prioritised area. Based on a study of primary sources and interviews with actors involved, the authors find that the Norwegian DSSR engagement in Serbia and Montenegro has been quite successful and efficient. One reason is its flexibility, both with regard to project organisation and economic management. That said, the authors conclude that more work can be done on interdepartmental coherence as well as compiling a set of DSSR project guidelines. As for the motives for this engagement, it seems the Norwegian DSSR effort in the Western Balkans represents added value for Norway’s foreign policy. In being a visible and committed donor, the Norwegian government has improved its image both locally and internationally. In that sense, the engagement has had a spill-over effect for Norway as an international actor