Civil society has become an indispensable part of the global discourses on democratization, good governance, sustainable development, and security. This paper examines the ways in which civil society actions contribute to Security Sector Governance and Reform (SSG/R) and Sustainable Development Goal-16 (SDG-16). Civil society groups perform three major roles in the Global South: an agent of democratic accountability and civilian oversight; a space for new discourses on security and development; and an alternative provider of people-oriented security.
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The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 calls for the establishment of peaceful, just and inclusive societies. The security sector can either contribute to or detract from SDG16 and parliaments play a role in directing the sector’s impact. The Covid-19 pandemic affected parliamentary operations globally during a time of increased security force utilisation in response to the pandemic. This study reviews the use of the security sector in South Africa, the Philippines and the UK during the first year of the pandemic as well as parliamentary responses. To ensure security sector contribution to SDG16, the study identifies the need for rapid parliamentary reaction to security sector utilisation, especially in cases of extraordinary deployments.
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