A March 2009 report from the Fourth Freedom Forum tracks the growing disconnect between international and United Nations efforts to include civil society in Security Sector Reform (SSR) and counterterrorism programs implemented by many governments, including the United States.  Oversight or Overlooked? Civil Society's Role in Monitoring and Reforming Security Systems and the Practice of Counterterrorism calls for greater participation by civil society organizations in monitoring security and counterterrorism programs and participating in policy evaluation and development of reforms. It provides a helpful international context for the problems U.S. nonprofits confront in current counterterrorism measures.

The report says that "civil society engagement, particularly with local actors, is central to ensuring proper civilian oversight and the overall effectiveness of both SSR and counterterrorism efforts…" This involvement has been hampered by counterterrorism measures (CTM), and "UN mandates have been used by certain states as a pretext to enact repressive CTMs that have lead to an erosion of civil liberties and human rights, with significant repercussions for civil society groups." [p.1]

The concept of Security Sector Reform "emerged in the 1990s in response to the recognition that development and security are inextricably linked..." To implement this concept the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a federation of 30 countries "committed to democracy and the market economy," and its Development Assistance Committee, call for all actors to work together, so that security systems are "more consistent with democratic norms and sound principles of good governance..." The report says this approach to security can provide "a useful framework for a necessary course correction in counterterrorism." For example, "There is growing acknowledgement among states and within the United Nations that nongovernment actors and parliamentarians can perform crucial civilian oversight and monitoring functions." [p.1]

But despite the benefits of civil society engagement, "it is not clear that this conceptual shift is occurring in practice at the country level where entry points for civil society involvement in SSR and in monitoring CTMs remain limited." [p.2]   Although the UN has long recognized the importance of involving civil society, "no provisions have been created to ensure that civil society participation in SSR and counterterrorism oversight actually occurs." [p.5] 

The problem is relevant to the U.S. nonprofit sector because SSR impacts counterterrorism strategies, and so far these have had negative impacts on the operations of legitimate U.S. nonprofits.  This is due in part to what the report describes as the "parallel – but separate- evolution" of policy at the UN. On the one hand it stresses the importance of civil society involvement, but on the other views civil society as a potential threat. For example, the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee assesses "the extent to which states have the necessary laws and regulations in place to ensure that charities and other non-profits are not being used to finance or otherwise support terrorism. This emphasis on the non-profit sector derived from policy recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, which were issued without corroborating evidence and without regard to the impact of such measures on CSOs (civil society organizations)." 

This approach "led to a backlash, as many states perceived the Council's actions as inseparable from the US-led 'Global War on Terror'. In September 2006, the General Assembly unanimously adopted the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which, for the first time, adopted the view that "long term efforts to address conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism are an essential part of an effective and comprehensive strategy to combat and prevent terrorism, thus moving beyond the Council's emphasis on law enforcement and other security measures." The Strategy "is the first UN document on counterterrorism to include a role for civil society organizations" in that it stresses respect for human rights and the rule of law, and "acknowledges that a wide range of stakeholders, beyond states, have a role to play in its implementation." [p. 5]

• Engage civil society "early in the policy development and planning stages" of SSR and counterterrorism
• Raise awareness "about the valuable role that civil society can play"
• Donors should ensure civil society has a "place at the table"
• Provide civil society groups with direct assistance to build their capacity to "constructively engage in SSR and counterterrorism efforts."