International Relations expert to address UN conference over Central Asia issues

An international relations expert at Plymouth University has been invited to address a United Nations conference on security issues in Central Asia. Professor Graeme Herd, Head of the School of Government in the University’s Faculty of Business, will address the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) on ‘Lessons Learned from Central Asia’. The two organisations are meeting in Vienna this week to discuss the topic of ‘Strengthening OSCE-UN Cooperation on Security Sector Reform’. Professor Herd will outline the five lessons that the OSCE and the UN should have learned from engagement with Central Asia – lessons which he suggests have not been reflected in engagement patterns and priorities. These cover issues such as countries using security reform as a means to suppress internal democratic opposition, and the failure to address drug trades which have connections into state security forces. The combined effect, says Graeme, is a loss of credibility for both organisations. He said: “Security Sector Reform is meant to be about having democratic civilian oversight over army, police, intelligence services so they are accountable to oversight bodies – this makes them more efficient, effective and legitimate and less likely to undermine market-democratic consolidation.