County_Security_Mechanism_Founding_Document.pdf

COUNTY SECURITY MECHANISM (CSM) DOCUMENTATION

OF THE

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA

Content

List of Acronyms 2

Introduction 3

Background 4-5

County Security Mechanism 6-7

CSC Aide Memoire 8-14

CSC Training Manual 15-24

List of Acronyms

AFL Armed Forces of Liberia

BIN Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization

CDA County Development Agenda

CSC County Security Council

CSCVC County Security Council Vitalization Committee

DMO Deputy Minister for Operation

DSC District Security Council

LNFS Liberia National Fire Service

LNP Liberia National Police

MIA Ministry of Internal Affairs

MOD Ministry of Defense

NSA National Security Agency

NSAd National Security Advisor

NSAO National Security Advisor Office

NSSRL National Security Strategy of the Republic of Liberia

PRS Poverty Reduction Strategy

SRSG Special Representative of the Secretary General

SSR Security Sector Reform

SSRAd Security Sector Reform Advisor

SSS Special Security Service

Introduction

After brilliantly developing the County Security Mechanism (CSM) which gave birth to the County Security Council

(CSC), a county based security coordination framework involving civilian and local government participation in security governance to improve the security of Liberia, extensive efforts were made to ensure that this national security policy objective is achieved in the shortest possible time. Efforts exert, in addition to the development of the

County Security Mechanism, included the development of an Aide Memoire and a Training Manual.

The Aide Memoire serves as the concept paper to activate a County Security Council in each county throughout Liberia.

The Training Manual provides in-depth explanation about the County Security Mechanism, and also serves as the guide to facilitate orientation of all security stakeholders in each county.

It is extremely necessary and important to grasp the substance of the Government of Liberia (GOL) policy direction in promoting and institutionalizing human security. This can only be done by comprehending the contents of the County

Security Mechanism (CSM), the County Security Council Aide Memoire, and the County Security Council Training

Manual. Comprehension becomes easier when all relevant pieces of document developed to enable a functional County

Security Council across Liberia are brought together as a single document.

As such, this documentation is intended to remedy difficulties in sourcing the different pieces of document develop, and to promote easy and coherent comprehension of the County Security Mechanism and the County Security Council.

Background

The Government of Liberia (GOL) developed the National Security Strategy of Liberia which currently serves as the pillar for erecting a coordinated and accountable democratic national security architecture that will be receptive to all agencies of Government, civil society organizations, and development partners in addressing the human security concerns of the general population of Liberia. As part of the defined national security architecture to be erected, the

County Security Mechanism was developed as part of the peace-building effort to ensure security and peace coordination at county and district levels whereby local government, civil society, and other stake holders would participate in local security governance.

To actualize this, a participatory, consultative, and comprehensive process was initiated by the Security Pillar on

Thursday, 08 January 2009, at the Ministry of Justice to determine a conceptual and structural framework for the development of a county security mechanism from which it was agreed to establish the County Security Council.

On Monday, 19 January 2009, another meeting was convened at the Ministry of Internal Affairs where the terms of reference (ToR) of the proposed local council was reviewed, and amended ( adding that the local council act as an early warning mechanism on security issues in the counties; as a forum to manage local security concerns in a coordinated fashion; and superintendents should not have any control over security agencies or any right to direct or interfere in the operational activity of the security and law enforcement agencies in the discharged of their legal mandates).

A third meeting was held on Thursday, 26 February 2009, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs where the county mechanism was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Security Pillar. On Tuesday, 17 March 2009, the fourth meeting was held with the fifteen superintendents from the counties at the Ministry of Defense where they (Superintendents) registered their dissatisfaction with the phrase “shall not have any control over, or any right to direct or interfere in the operational activity of the security and law enforcement agencies in the discharge of their legal mandates”. Considering their concerns, it was collectively (Security Pillar members and

Superintendents) agreed that the phrase be changed to “shall not have technical control over…….”. This meeting finalized and concluded the development of the County Security Council.

The County Security Mechanism was launched on Monday, 4 December 2009, in Kakata, Margibi County with the participation of the counties’ superintendents, and county security commanders of LNP, LNFS, BIN, and Corrections of the fifteen counties. It was expected that each County Security Council would have started functioning after the launching ceremony, but it did not.

An Aide Memoire and a Training Manual has been prepared to facilitate the activation of the County Security Council in each county in the shortest possible time.

County Security Mechanism

The National Security Strategy of Liberia directs that there shall be a county security mechanism. The followings are the Terms of Reference (TOR), Composition, Structure and Reporting Channel of the County Security Mechanism.

Background

The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) and the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Liberia (NSSRL) have specific objectives that must be addressed. The concern is about setting up and formalizing a county security structure, its reporting channel, and addressing county security issues that will arise.

Objective

To provide a county based security coordination framework including civilian and local government participation in security governance to improve the security of Liberia.

Terms of Reference

The formation is proposed of a system of County Security Councils (CSCs) in the Leeward counties, with one CSC in each county as a replica of the National Security Council architecture. The CSCs will act as an early warning mechanism on security issues in the counties, as a forum for managing local security concerns in a coordinated fashion. The CSCs shall be security policy oriented, and shall not have technical control over, or any right to give operational direction or interfere in the operational activity of the security and law enforcement agencies in the execution of their legal mandates. CSC’s shall perform the following tasks:

1. Review on a regular basis broader security issues arising in the county and develop clear policy recommendations;

2. Advise the National Security Council through the Minister of Internal Affairs regularly on security developments and seek advice on handling of national security issues;

3. Forward all policy recommendations, minutes and other communications to the Office of the Minister of

Internal Affairs, for immediate distribution to the National security Adviser and the Minister of Justice;

4. Ensure participation in the security agenda of local government, including District and Paramount, Clan and

Town Chiefs and senior representatives of all security agencies present in the county eg. (LNP, BIN, NSA, SSS, Corrections, LNFS and MoD).

5. Under the chairmanship of the County Superintendent, to report accurately and in a timely manner issues of national security importance for resolution by the NSC.

6. Co-ordinate as appropriate with the Joint Security Committee in the county.

Composition

The County Security Council in each county shall comprise the Superintendent as chairman; the county heads of all national security agencies (Police, Immigration, NSA, LNFS, etc.) assigned therein, the Paramount, Clan, and Town

Chiefs. In the absence of the superintendent, the person acting as superintendent shall act as chairman of the CSC.

Reporting Mechanism

The County Security Council (CSC) shall report agenda items, deliberations and policy recommendations from CSC meetings. In the first instance, the CSC shall report directly to the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs. There shall be a secretariat created within the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs, designated by and from the office of the

National Security Advisor to handle security correspondence from the CSC. This is without prejudice to the reporting line of the different security agencies.

The said secretariat shall receive all communications from the County Security Council for direct submission to the

Minister of Internal Affairs and for sharing with the National Security Adviser and Minister of Justice.

The National Security Advisor shall communicate to the CSC through the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs.

AIDE MEMOIRE

County Security Council (CSC) Vitalization Strategic Guide

Republic of Liberia

1.0 Background

1.1 Objectives

1.2 Participation

2.0 Methodology

2.1 Concept of Operations

3.0 Activities

4.0 Financing

1.0 Background

The Government of Liberia provided strategic national security direction and guidance through its National Security

Policy and National Security Strategy wherein it mentioned as one of its “Specific National Security Objectives”, the creation of a system of County and District Security Councils (CSCs & DSCs). The Poverty Reduction Strategy component captioned “Consolidating Peace and Security” reiterated the development of a county-based security mechanism to coordinate and promote local management of peace and security.

GOL via the Security Pillar developed the County Security Mechanism (CSM) styled and known as the County Security

Council (CSC) through a participatory, consultative, and comprehensive process which was climaxed by a launching ceremony held in Kakata, Margibi County. Since the launching of the CSM, none of the CSCs has been reported operational in any of the counties.

Recognizing the importance of having functional and active CSCs throughout Liberia, thereby fulfilling the objective of the crafters of the CSM, this aide memoire shall serve as a plan to provide methodology to make the County Security

Council in each county operational/functional.

1.1 Objectives

The key objective of this plan is to enable active, functioning, and sustainable County Security Councils throughout

Liberia in the short run. This plan will also have as objectives:

a. Establishing an effective and efficient framework that will portray the characteristics of ownership, consultation, participation and cooperation;

b. Providing increased understanding and interpretation with clear examples regarding the wordings in the

County Security Mechanism and the Councils’ ToR to ensure consistency across Liberia; and

c. Ensuring smooth transition from existing and functioning temporary security working group in each county to a permanent structure (the County Security Council).

1.2 Participation

Participation will evolve at three interactive levels:

The Security Pillar is the “Core Level”. It will provide guidance and direction to the Vitalization Committee as well as receive regular updates regarding implementation progress at every stage of implementation;

The Operational level which is the County Security Council Vitalization Committee (CSCVC) includes the Deputy

Minister for Operations/MIA, Deputies for Operations of all Security, Defense, and Justice Institutions, SSR

Advisor/SRSG, SSR Coordinator/GOL, Technical Advisor/Security Pillar, Civil Society SSR Working Group, etc.

It is the operational engine for making functional and active the CSCs; and

The Periphery/County level comprises of the Superintendents, County Heads of Security, Defense and Justice

Institutions, District Commissioners and Paramount and Clan Chiefs, stakeholders in the counties, etc. and it is the CSC. This level will effectuate all operational modalities designed by the CSCVC, and practically demonstrate and execute the textual content of the County Security Mechanism developed by the Security.

2.0 Methodology

The methodology necessary for making operational the County Security Council in each county shall be:

Consensus building and collaboration o Build consensus around unanticipated challenges that may arise in the process of making the CSCs operational, and respond to said challenges collaboratively through constructive engagement of all stakeholders in each county and at the center/core level;

County-to-County Approach o The County-to-County approach is one in which the CSCs will be made operational in one county and its effectiveness assessed in terms of whether it is holding meetings, communicating/reporting minutes and correspondence of meetings through the reporting channel, etc., before proceeding with implementation to another county. Assessing effectiveness will not be a condition applicable to all of the counties, rather it will be strictly observed in Montserrado County. Montserrado County will be used as the test case for subsequent robust implementation in each county. The County-to-

County approach was chosen amongst many options because:

a. It enables lessons learned to be applied in subsequent nationwide implementation;

b. It is economical;

c. It promotes wider participation of stakeholders residing in the counties;

d. It induces the psychology of county security specifics and uniqueness; and

e. Enable prior discussions with the CSCs’ chairpersons and secretary before holding of actual sessions.

Workshop/ Seminar o Workshop will be used as the forum to bring stakeholders together to provide clear information and insight about the CSCs, its workings (processes and procedures), roles and responsibilities of CSC members, etc.

Moot Sitting of the CSC o This method will provide psychological and practical demonstration of the expected proceedings and the types of security issues the CSCs will have to deal with from time to time. This methodology will also practicalize the reporting mechanism mentioned in the County Security Mechanism.

2.1 Concept of Operations

As mentioned earlier, the Vitalization Committee is the operational engine for making functional and active the CSCs.

By the above indication, its main responsible are:

1. To amass cooperation and commitment at the periphery/county level in the counties thereby enabling local ownership, consultation and participation;

2. Identify and provide remedy to unanticipated implementation challenges that may surface from time to time; and

3. To ensure consistent implementation of County Security Mechanisms throughout Liberia.

After the mobilization of financial resources to energize a CSC, the Vitalization Committee will communicate the plan of actions to stakeholders in said county through its members that directly supervise the Superintendent and County

Commanders in that county. Preparations for the holding of development and training sessions in any county will also be communicated by the Committee.

The Committee will always meet, at least once, to discuss pertaining issues before undertaking any implementation trip to another county/ies.

3.0 Activities

The matrix below explains the activities and associated timeline that would be required to fully make operational the

CSCs in each county. It also includes the location (county/city/agency) in which each activity will take place as well as the lead personality/unit directly responsible for implementation.

Activities Lead Timeline Location

Constitute Council Security Council

Vitalization Committee (CSCVC)

SSR Coordinator/NSAO./NSC Monrovia

Convene first meeting to endorse CSCVC

Con-ops

DMO/MIA Monrovia/MIA

Develop Training Module & Program SSR Coordinator/NSAO &

SSRAd/SRSG

Monrovia

Develop CSC’s Comprehensive Budget SSR Coordinator &

SSRAd/SRSG/UNMIL.

Monrovia

Sourcing and Mobilizing Funding SSR Coordinator &

SSRAd/SRSG/UNMIL

Monrovia

Enable CSC Report Channel SSR Coordinator/NSAO Monrovia

Montserrado County CSC Pilot Project

(Training of county authority and agency representatives)

Vitalization Committee Bensonville

Grand Cape Mount, Bomi County and

Gbarbolu Counties Projects

Vitalization Committee Robertsport, Tubmanburg, and

Bassa and Rivercess Counties Vitalization Committee Buchanan &

Cesstos

Margibi, Bong and Lofa Counties Vitalization Committee Kakata, Gbarnga, & Vonjama

Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties Vitalization Committee Saniquille &

Zwedru

Sinoe and Grand Kru Counties Vitalization Committee Greenville &

Barclayville

River Gee and Maryland Counties Vitalization Committee Fish Town &

Harper

4.0 Financing

Successful implementation, in terms of making the CSCs functional, has financial implications that will need to be addressed adequately. Costing for the entire CSC vitalization process will be prepared and annexed to this document to facilitate resource mobilization. Partners and donors will be constructively engaged to provide support to this worthy endeavor. Initial efforts, especially for the launching of the County Security Mechanism (CSM), were financed by

Swedish Government.

Republic of Liberia

County Security Council

Orientation Training Manual

1. Introduction

2. Lecture I: Legal/Strategic Basis

A. The National Security Strategy of the Republic of Liberia

B. The Poverty Reduction Strategic (PRS) of Liberia

3. Lecture II: CSC Structure & Responsibilities

A. Structure

B. Responsibilities

Lecture III: Nature/ Characteristics of the CSC

A. Replica of the National Security Council Architecture and Security Policy Oriented

B. Early Warning Mechanism on Security Issues

C. Forum for Managing Local Security Concerns

D. Lack Technical Control/ Right to Give Operational Direction and Non-interference in

Operational activity

4. Lecture IV: Process and Procedure

A. Holding of Session and Representation/Participation

B. Reporting framework

Introduction

In order to have functional and effective County Security Councils (CSCs) throughout Liberia, basic understanding and application of the County Security Mechanism (CSM) is required. The County Security Council (CSC) members, other local stakeholders and development partners operating in each county must clearly understand the structure, functioning processes and procedures as well as their (CSC) own responsibilities to ensure consistency across Liberia and thereby achieving local government participation in security governance.

This manual is designed to serve as the training instrument to impart the required understanding of the CSM, the functioning processes and procedure, and the structure and responsibilities of the CSC.

Lecture I: Policy/Strategic Basis

Objective: To understand the legal or policy background of the County Security Mechanism (CSM)

Medium of Instruction: PowerPoint Presentation

A. The National Security Strategy of the Republic of Liberia

The National Security Strategy of the Republic of Liberia (NSSRL) serves as the guiding instrument for national security reform and development in Liberia. As such, one of its (NSSRL) primary purposes is to serve as:

A “lead to the development of a nationwide security coordination mechanism at National, County and

District levels to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of joint working between security agencies, and operational tasking and policy formulation support to the National Security Council (NSC)”-[page 9-NSSRL].

It also mentioned on page 25 of the NSSRL that one of its specific objectives is to:

“Create a system of County and District Security Councils – CSCs and DSCs as part of the peace-building effort to ensure security and peace coordination at County and District levels, coordinated with local government, civil society and other stakeholders. These Councils will also act as a focal mechanism for disaster and crisis management response”.

The two clauses above constitute the policy basis or authority to develop the County Security Mechanism, and establish and make functional the County Security Councils throughout Liberia.

B. The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) of Liberia

Chapter six of the PRS titled “Consolidating Peace and Security” has in its priorities matrix under strategic objective number 4- “To ensure institutional participation in security governance and functions- the below clause:

“Develop a County-based security mechanism to coordinate and promote local management of peace and security including civilian and local government participation in security governance”

Both the NSSRL and the PRS form the basis for the creation of the CSC.

Lecture II: CSC’s Structure, and Responsibilities

Objective: To enable CSC’s members and stakeholders clearly understand the structure and responsibilities of the

CSC.

Medium of Instruction: PowerPoint Presentation & Lectures

A. Structure

The superintendent in each county is the head/chairperson of the Council. Heads of national security and justice institutions (LNP, LNFS, BIN, AFL, Corrections, NSA, Custom, and SSS) assigned in the county as well as the District

Commissioners, Paramount, Clan, and Town Chiefs of each county are PERMANENT members of the CSC. The civil society organizations and development partners in each county are PERIODIC/ISSUES SENSITIVE members.

The permanent members are those who, by textual content of the County Security Mechanism (CSM), are named/mentioned as members of the CSC. The periodic/issues sensitive members are those who are not named in the

CSM as members of the CSC, but shall attend CSC’s meetings based on the invitation of the CSC. See diagram below.

Diagram I: CSC Chart

Superintendent

Heads of County

Security Institutions

(LNP, LNFS, BIN, SSS,

AFL, Corrections, Custom)

District Comm., Paramount & Clan

Chiefs

Local Civil Society

Organizations

Development

Stakeholders

Permanent Members

ISSUES SENSITIVE

Membership

B. Responsibilities

The CSC shall perform the following responsibilities. These responsibilities shall be performed with innovation and motivation to consolidate and coordinate peace and security within each county:

a. Review on a regular basis broader security issues arising in the county and develop clear policy recommendations;

b. Advise the National Security Council through the Minister of Internal Affairs regularly on security developments and seek advice on handling of national security issues;

c. Forward all policy recommendations, minutes and other communications to the Office of the Minister of Internal

Affairs, for immediate distribution to the National security Adviser and the Minister of Justice;

d. Ensure participation in the security agenda of local government, including District and Paramount, Clan and Town

Chiefs and senior representatives of all security agencies present in the county eg. (LNP, BIN, NSA, SSS, Corrections, LNFS and MoD);

e. Under the chairmanship of the County Superintendent, to report accurately and in a timely manner issues of national security importance for resolution by the NSC; and

f. Co-ordinate as appropriate with the Joint Security Committee in the county.

Lecture III: Nature/Characteristics of the CSC

Objective: To microscopically reveal the intrinsic and essential qualities of the CSC

Medium of Presentation: PowerPoint Presentation

A. Replica of the National Security Council Architecture and Security Policy Oriented

The County Security Council (CSC) is similarly designed and constituted like that of the National Security Council (NSC).

Although it is similar to the NSC, it has other membership which made it slightly different from the NSC; this is meant to enable broad local participation. The NSC is chaired by the President of the Republic of Liberia, the Vice President, the National Security Advisor, Minister of Defense, Justice, Internal Affairs, and National Security as well as the

Director of National Security Agency (NSA). See Lecture II for the structure of the CSC.

The CSC also replicates the NSC in some functions. The CSC is policy oriented, i.e. it reviews broad range of security issues and make policy recommendations. By doing this, it replicates the NSC’s policy decision making function.

B. Early Warning Mechanism on Security Issues

Monitoring issues that may be potential human security threats in the county and seeking ways to address them where feasible and appropriate at a very early or embryonic stage is essential to enhance a safe and law abiding environment.

The CSC will identify the type of issue that would create insecurity in the county or an issue that is a potential threat to the inhabitants of the county, and monitor and assess said issue’s progress with the view of determining how close it is to insecurity. See below a template that could help to identify, monitor and assess security issues

Human Security Analysis Template

Issues Indicators Trend/

Progression

Potential

Impact/Threat

Causes Action

Influx of illegal alien

Presence of significant # of aliens

Continuous influx 1. Crimes (drug or human trafficking, etc.)

2. Mercenaries

-Weak border management Policy recommendation to NSC

-immediate local security response

Criminal activities High rate of crime/s

Regular increase in crime rate

Living in a state of fear

Lack of effective crimes combat strategy

-lack of employment opportunity

Policy recommendation to NSC

“Human Security” is mentioned throughout this manual to emphasize that anything that threatens the livelihood or security of the general population of a county will be a focus and sphere of the CSC. Issues of concern in areas such as economic security, health security, state security, food security, cultural security, etc. will be analyzed by the CSC using the template above.

C. Forum for Managing Local Security Concerns

Security concerns that may arise in a county shall be adequately managed by the CSC via its meetings. An assembly of its members constitutes that forum for managing local security concerns; an assembly will discuss said security concerns and take non-policy decision actions awaiting policy direction and guidance from the NSC after being communicated to by the CSC about the concerns. The consideration or determination of an issue for early warning analysis will also be done in said forum.

As a forum for managing local security concerns, it assumes responsibilities of the current County Security Working

Group established to manage security development deliverables under the County Development Agenda (CDA).

D. Lack Technical Control/ Right to Give Operational Direction and Non-interference in Operational

Activity

All efforts geared towards making an environment safe must be done in a coordinated pattern, and must also complement one another. As such, the CSC in each county is purely “Security Policy Recommendation Oriented” and not Security Operation Oriented. This implies that all security matters that are operational in nature shall be handled by a national security agency with such statutory responsibility/ies. In other words, the CSC will not have technical control over security agencies. By not having technical control over national security and justice institutions in a county means the CSC will not:

Instruct any security or justice institution to arrest or not to arrest an offender, or to release a detainee or put on parole an inmate; but may inform the relevant security agency about violations of law;

Direct who to be investigated and not to be investigated;

Direct an institution how to execute its statutory responsibility/ies;

Interfere with the operation of security institutions; etc.

The CSC will discuss security concerns such as:

Proliferate police brutality;

Excessive use of power or force

Tension between or among security institutions; etc.

Lecture IV: Processes and Procedures

Objective: To provide a surgical understanding about the working processes and procedures of the CSC, and to enable CSCs’ member to practicalize them (processes and procedures)

Medium of Presentation: PowerPoint Presentation, lectures and exercises

A. Holding of Session and Representation/Participation

The CSC will hold meetings as frequent as possible to manage security concerns. Calling meetings as often as possible, preferably twice a month or more based on the number of security concerns that may show up, enables CSC to collectively and effectively address and manage county security concerns. It will further achieve the objective of encouraging local government participation in security governance.

The fact that the CSM is designed in a way that a Council will also assume the development function of the current

County Security Working Group (CSWG) as a way of concluding the transition from a temporary working group to a permanent Council (CSC), it shall hold meetings to transact business that are policy and development related.

When transacting businesses or discussing issues that are development centered, especially involving deliverables in the County Development Agenda (CDA) or future county development plan, the Council takes on the feature or composition of the current working group (CSWG) wherein the permanent members of the CSC, civil society, local and international NGOs as well as development partners operating in a county will be represented.

Whenever there is a need to transact businesses that are policy centered on a specific issue, the permanent members of the CSC and institutions or groupings with statutory or formal responsibilities will be represented. The CSC shall determine which group or organization to invite to a policy oriented meeting.

B. Reporting Framework

All correspondences of the County Security Council (CSC) will be reported to the National Security Council (NSC) through a structure to portray the unique quality of the County Security Mechanism (CSM).

Correspondence to be reported includes meeting agenda, deliberations of all activities, and policy recommendations.

They (Correspondences) will be communicated through a secretariat created in the office of the Minister of Internal

Affairs. This secretariat that is based at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has as its member a trained security officer designated by the National Security Advisor (NSAd.) and also from the Office of the National Security Advisor

(ONSAd.).

All communications from the CSC will be sent directly to the secretariat. The secretariat will then submit it to the

Minister of Internal Affairs in person. After personal submission to the Minister of Internal Affairs, it will be shared with the National Security Advisor and the Minister of Justice within twelve hours after receipt from a CSC. This in no way means that a national security institution in a county will neglect or be barred from reporting as usual to its

Headquarters.

The National Security Council will communicate with the County Security Council through the same secretariat that is based in the Office of the Minister of Internal Affairs. See diagram below:

Reporting Framework Diagram

National Security Council (NSC)

National Security

Advisor

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Secretariat

County Security Council (CSC)

Ministry of Justice

Minister/MIA