Page 38 - Empowerment and Protection - Stories of Human Security

DGE)
at a time when Ukraine relied heavily on foreign loans to fill in the gaps in its national budget. The problems with the police went beyond technical inefficiency, as issues flagged concerned their very mandate and purpose. Police were seen to be concerned with politics and with maintaining the political regime, rather than the maintenance of law and order.
The difference between the actual situation and what the public expected from police reflected
two different approaches to security: one derived from the communist system based on a hierarchical system of top-down control, versus a modern bottom-up demand-driven security project whereby police operate as a service provider. This debate came to the fore as a result of riot police behaviour towards protestors, whose excessive brutality became graphically visible to the public.
At the time of writing, the constantly shifting conflict dynamics that currently affect the population of Ukraine and its neighbours pose regional and international challenges of a different nature. The humanitarian consequences seen in over 3,000 violent deaths10 and some 260,000 displaced people11 in eastern Ukraine clearly pose additional and more acute human security challenges than those presented in this chapter. Nevertheless, the underlying domestic security concerns that in part triggered the political crisis remain relevant for current and future policymakers.
Ukraine
Conclusion
and recommendations
The start of the political crisis in Ukraine reflected the need for significant governmental reforms in the country. It is notable that the fault lines of the debate generated by the protest movement came close to points identified in the interviews. Protesters began to demand accountability of the public administration and the rule of law, meaningful local self-government, a review of the
legal framework and law enforcement structures and the way they relate to society. furthermore, the tensions related to identity politics highlighted in the interviews were visible and had been known long before the conflict broke out, with material conditions exacerbating inter-group and state-citizen relations.
While the government has changed, the same security apparatus is still in place. The armed conflict has focused the country’s attention on political and national security concerns such
as the protection of borders and sovereignty. However, the risk is that such an approach could emphasise the very conditions that fuelled the conflict, increasing the polarisation amongst some Ukrainian groups and overshadowing
valid grievances that all groups have against
the state authorities. The stories presented here indicate clear warning signs with regards to the politicisation and corruption of the security sector, as well as the perception of the ‘social other’ as
a source of insecurity. Whilst the survey for this publication was not carried out in the current conflict zones, the dire conditions in areas such
as Donetsk and Lugansk – and their effect on
the public mood and community relations –
have been subject to extensive public concern in Ukraine.12 Such grievances must be addressed by the Ukrainian government for long-term stability to be a possibility.
As the European Union, the United States and other international donors are signing support packages for security sector reform with the newly appointed government, the risks of a politicised security sector must be carefully assessed.13 Frameworks for civil oversight of security sectors, underpinned by free press and civil rights education, must be integral to such reforms. Another conflict factor that inevitably affects this process is the rise of paramilitary groups on both sides of the conflict, a sign of continued militarisation of Ukrainian security.
On the other hand, the past year has also built
an unprecedented momentum of Ukrainian civil society groups and social movements. Not only were they instrumental in leading and calling for nonviolent approaches during the Euromaidan protests, they are now key in assisting the protection and humanitarian support of populations affected by the conflict, filling important gaps in the state’s capacities. Civil society is a needed partner by the government; this provides important entry points for a longer-term collaboration for human security. However, this will only be a possibility
if human security concerns are not completely overshadowed by the political and militarised national security strategies perpetuated in the context of the ongoing armed conflict.
ffffffLD BANK 2014A)
While common citizens were unable to rely on the
police as a security provider, the Yanukovych
government in early 2013 was allocating an
ever-greater share of the budget for the needs of
the Ministry of Interior.9 At the peak of the mass
protests in Kyiv, media reported on the six-fold
38 SToRIES of HUman SECURITY | Ukraine
increase of state budget allocated to the riot police,
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
=10.000.000