We are pleased to share with you International Alert’s briefing on Public Security in Nepal and the final versions of our security and justice snapshot series. The work for these was carried out as part of the Initiative for Peacebuilding [6], a consortium led by Alert and funded by the European Commission.
The provision of security and justice is one of the main requirements for a peaceful society and its sustained social and economic development. In Nepal, where the peace process remains fragile and levels of insecurity are high, there is an urgent need to address issues related to public security and justice provision as part of the ongoing efforts to build peace.
For improvements in security and justice to be sustained in the long term, any changes in these sectors need to be discussed right across Nepal. To date, this more inclusive approach to the understanding and provision of public security in Nepal has been over-looked.
The recent crisis in government and tensions between the army command and government leadership only make the need to broaden the debate outside a small, political elite in Kathmandu, even more relevant.
The briefing ‘Security for Whom? [7]’ explores the link between public security and security sector reform (SSR). It highlights that addressing public security issues is vital to pave the way for any SSR process, which in turn is needed to ensure improvements to governance, without which further violent conflict in Nepal is likely.
This paper builds upon the ‘Snapshot’ briefings, part of a longer-term initiative by Alert to help address the current gaps in knowledge and understanding between actors at the district and national level.
Each briefing provides a ‘snapshot’ of the security and justice situation of each district, including current types of crime, role and public perceptions of the police, as well as level of access to justice. The snapshots also outline implications for policy-makers, local government and civil society. Though the context is constantly evolving, many of the local level concerns and realities remain pertinent today.
- Kailali [8] – a rural Terai district where ethnic tensions threaten to escalate.
- Morang [9] – an industrial hub hit hard by unrest in the eastern Terai region.
- Jumla [10] [11]– a remote hill district where the vast majority of the population lacks access to formal security and justice mechanisms.
Building on this research and in line with the evolving political context, Alert’s work in 2009 will include:
* Developing a training manual on Public Security & Justice and Security Sector Reform in Nepal
* Building the capacity of local stakeholders to understand and advocate for their public security needs
* Facilitating a public security forum to enable national debate on key issues
This work will be carried out in close partnership with national and international partners from government and civil society.