Regional Workshop on Security Sector Governance and Parliamentary Oversight in the Arab Region. First Working Group Meeting

Beirut, Lebanon, 12/05/2006 - 14/05/2006.

Organizer(s): Organized in partnership with the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF).

The workshop brought together 50 participants including members of parliament, security sector representatives, and international and regional experts to review and discuss the current international and regional practices in security sector governance and reform, in an effort to highlight the important role of parliamentarians and parliaments in policy-making and democratic control of the security sector.

This groundbreaking meeting on a highly sensitive but important issue in the region offered an unprecedented opportunity for parliamentarians from six Arab countries (Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine) to interact with practitioners and experts on the subject. The discussions and recommendations pointed to several entry points for the launched working group on security sector to work together both at the regional and national levels on strengthening the legislative and oversight role of the parliament.