In a ceremony attended by U.S. Ambassador Eunice Reddick and Deputy Minister Kaffa Rékiatou Christelle Jackou, the Governments of the United States and Niger officially signed the Security Governance Initiative Joint Country Action Plan on October 9.
The Security Governance Initiative, or SGI, represents a comprehensive approach to improving security sector governance and was launched last year with six partner countries: Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Tunisia.
SGI will focus on civilian and military security institutions and the ministerial functions that provide state oversight of the security sector. SGI programs will differ in each country, reflecting specific partner country challenges, goals, and objectives.
The SGI approach is based on partnership and joint analysis of the opportunities and challenges governments face and entails whole-of-government strategies to achieve catalytic and systemic reform in specific areas of focus related to the functioning of civilian and military institutions.
Through the SGI, Nigerien and U.S. experts have worked together to develop a Joint Country Action Plan or JCAP. The JCAP is a shared document that outlines a roadmap for a successful partnership under the SGI and identifies three focus areas: developing a national security review and strategic framework; aligning existing human and material resources more efficiently to address short and long-term security needs, and; external communications.
SGI is a distinctive approach. Its key goals and objectives are to increase partner nation capacity to meet citizen security needs; prevent or mitigate instability and conflict and counter terrorist activities and their enabling environments; promote democratic governance, rule of law, respect for human rights, and long-term economic development; and deepen the impact of U.S. investments in countries that show leadership and political will to make reforms and policy decisions necessary to improve security sector governance.
Following the signing of this important document the Governments of the United States and Niger begin developing activities to support efforts in the three focus areas. SGI teams will be visiting Niger later in October and in late November to begin this engagement.
Niger and other African nations in the region face new security challenges. United States is proud to work with its partner Niger to help meet these challenges and meet the security needs of the people of Niger.
