Reception to mark the Geneva Launch of the United Nations
Security Sector Reform Integrated Technical Guidance Notes

State Secretary Burian
Ambassador Rosocha
Ambassador Winkler
Assistant Secretary-General Titov
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the Palais des Nations for the official Geneva launch of the United Nations Security Sector Reform Integrated Technical Guidance Notes, organized jointly by the Slovak Republic, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the United Nations Office at Geneva.

In 2007, the Slovak Republic took the lead on Security Sector Reform in the Security Council to place it at the centre of the United Nations peace and security agenda, for which it should be commended.

The work of our partners in the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, under the leadership of Ambassador Winkler, has also been critical in consolidating Geneva’s position as a centre of excellence on security sector reform.

One of the key observations of the Secretary-General’s first report on SSR in 2008 was the need for guidance on how best to provide support to SSR processes. This call was heeded by the United Nations Inter Agency SSR Task Force. Five years of work has borne fruit in the form of these Integrated Technical Guidance Notes. I congratulate all involved on this important achievement.

The ultimate objective of the Guidance Notes is to improve delivery of United Nations SSR support on the ground. And at tomorrow’s seminar, we will have an opportunity to reflect in greater detail on practical implementation challenges toward more effective, transparent, responsible and accountable security sector institutions. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Thank you for your attention.