4 February 2010: New international roster of Security Sector Reform experts is launched
[New York | Author: Department of Peacekeeping Operations]
A new roster of security sector reform (SSR) specialists who may be useful in bilateral projects or in UN missions is now available for use by all concerned UN agencies and Member States. The SSR Roster gathers into one database external experts with varied backgrounds, including academics, technicians, civil servants and former armed forces and security personnel.
The roster, called United Nations Roster of Security Sector Reform Experts, was launched by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) on Monday, 1 February 2010. The launch was attended by scores of ambassadors and other diplomats, as well as representatives of the inter-agency SSR Task Force.
The Permanent Representative of the Netherlands Herman Schaper, whose country provided financial support for the launch reception, stated that the Roster was an excellent tool “but the real issue is how it will be used.” He called on all SSR friends supporting the UN effort, to use and improve this tool.
Dmitry Titov, the Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, and Chair of the UN Inter-Agency Security Sector Reform Task Force, said, “This multi-national roster greatly expands UN capacity in this important area and we hope it will provide a service to Member States.” He noted that itwas just a beginning, but an important milestone for the nascent DPKO team working on SSR.
Adedeji Ebo, the Chief of the DPKO SSR Unit, emphasized the focus on delivery by explaining that the first specialist from the roster was scheduled to deploy on 2 February 2010 to Guinea following a request from the UN SSR Working Group on Guinea, on behalf of the Government of Guinea. He noted that the Roster is an inspiring example of what could be achieved through inter-agency collaboration in the United Nations.
Professor Hutchful explained that through the creation of the Roster it became clear that an enormous capacity of specialists exists in many countries and one of the goals will be to expand the Roster to make it even more representative geographically and in terms of expertise.
Background and application information 
In his 2008 Report on Security Sector Reform (A/62/659 and S/2008/39), Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon wrote that “the development of an adequate human resources capacity represents a particular challenge given the relative global shortage of expertise in security sector reform.” He further identified the development of a roster of experts as one of the prerequisites for recruiting and retaining the appropriate expertise, and tasked the DPKO SSR Unit “to assist in the development of rosters of experts.”
On this basis, the SSR Unit, on behalf of the UN inter-agency SSR Task Force, launched the SSR roster of experts.
The Roster provides a pool of pre-screened qualified experts for quick deployment upon request for SSR assistance.
UN staff are eligible to apply but will not be deployed until after active service with the organization. For more information, please contact Jerome Mellon, SSR Coordination Officer, mellon@un.org .
Applications to the roster are reviewed annually. Short-listed candidates undertake a rigorous assessment, induction and selection process.
The roster project was funded through a multi-donor mechanism comprising the Governments of Canada, Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.
The SSR Task force is chaired by DPKO with the following members: the Department of Political Affaris (DPA), the Office for Disarmament Affaris (ODA), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Office of the Special Advisor for Africa (OSAA), the UN Development Program (UNDP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).