eprintid: 1540364 rev_number: 10 eprint_status: archive userid: 663 dir: disk0/01/54/03/64 datestamp: 2017-02-11 15:23:36 lastmod: 2017-02-11 15:34:35 status_changed: 2017-02-11 15:23:36 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: van Schalkwyk, Gina title: Challenges in the creation of a Southern African sub-regional security community ispublished: pub divisions: J39 abstract: Conflict and political instability continue to characterise African states and global trends point toward the devolution of the responsibility for conflict management from the United Nations (UN) to regional and sub-regional levels. This poses a significant challenge to sub-regional security arrangements such as the Southern African Development Community Organ for Politics Defence and Security Co-operation (SADC OPDSC). This article resists the temptation to submit to OPDSC-pessimism in view of the failures of the Organ since its inception. Instead it focuses on the immediate short-term challenges as opportunities to be exploited through a partnership between the public and private sector with the active involvement of civil society and the international community. In particular, it emphasises the need for a clear, institutionalised, policy framework that will allow the sub-regional security system to operate (relatively) free from political interference by ruling elites and in the interest of all the citizens of Southern Africa. date: 2005 oa_status: gold full_text_type: pub language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green article_type: letter verified: verified_manual full_text_status: public publication: ISYP Journal on Science and World Affairs volume: 1 number: 1 pagerange: 33-43 issn: 1574-1311 citation: van Schalkwyk, Gina; (2005) Challenges in the creation of a Southern African sub-regional security community. [Letter]. ISYP Journal on Science and World Affairs , 1 (1) pp. 33-43. Gold open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1540364/1/Vol1No1_33-43_van_Schalkwyk_article.pdf