building trust

Jozo Rados

Ref Batch
A
Focus Area(s)
Ref Batch Number
11
Critical Tasks
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Tristan Dreisbach
Name
Jozo Rados
Interviewee's Position
Former Minister of Defense
Language
English
Town/City
Zagreb
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

In this interview, Jozo Rados describes his role as Croatia’s minister of defense and the reforms he helped implement to expand transparency and the role of civilians in the Ministry of Defense. He notes that prior to 2000 the Croatian Parliament lacked significant oversight and control mechanisms over the country’s military. He describes his efforts to depoliticize the ministry by putting restrictions on the ability of military officers to serve in high-ranking political party positions. He explains the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in helping the ministry overhaul its defense strategy. He addresses alterations to the military’s chain of command and talks about the role of opposition parties played in the reform process through round table discussions. He describes how he managed to downsize the military through a restructured retirement process and reduction in the ministry’s branches. Finally, he stresses the need to strive for a properly balanced ministerial staff and a standardized system of personnel promotion.  

Profile

At the time of this interview, Jozo Rados was Croatia’s former minister of defense who served in this position from January 2000 to July 2002. In addition to his time at the Ministry of Defense he was a member of the Croatian Parliament, serving on the Committee for Internal Policy and National Security, the Committee of European Integration, and the Committee for Inter-parliamentary Cooperation. He also served as a member of the European Parliament. He graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb, and received his master’s degree in philosophy and history from the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. 

Full Audio File Size
91 MB
Full Audio Title
Joz Rados Full Interview

Building an Inclusive, Responsive National Police Service: Gender-Sensitive Reform in Liberia, 2005-2011

Author
Laura Bacon
Country of Reform
Abstract

After Liberia’s 14-year civil war ended in 2003, the government began to overhaul its security sector. The Liberia National Police (LNP), whose capacity was ravaged and reputation tarnished during the war, sought to improve its services and build the community’s trust. Gender-sensitive reform at the LNP was high on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s agenda, given low numbers of women in the security sector and high rates of sexual and gender-based violence. Between 2005 and 2011, LNP reformers Beatrice Munah Sieh, Asatu Bah-Kenneth, Vera Manly and others led innovative efforts to make the police service more inclusive and responsive. In particular, they sought to recruit female officers at a rapid pace and to launch a Women and Children Protection Section. By July 2011, although the police service still identified shortcomings in capacity and the justice system more broadly, it could boast an increased percentage of female officers (17%, compared with 2% in 2005), 217 specially trained officers deployed in 52 Women and Children Protection Section units across Liberia, more women in leadership positions, and improved responsiveness and public image. This case chronicles police reform in a post-conflict setting, examining the challenges of promoting diversity, building capacity, conducting community outreach and awareness, and delivering services to remote areas.

 
Laura Bacon drafted this case study on the basis of interviews she conducted in Monrovia, Liberia, in June and July 2011, interviews conducted by Arthur Boutellis in Monrovia in May 2008, and text prepared by Christine MacAulay. Case published April 2012. A companion piece, “Building Civilian Police Capacity: Post-Conflict Liberia,” addresses broader police reforms from 2003 to 2011. 
 
Associated Interviews:  David Beer, Paavani Reddy