In July 2011 the Republic of South Sudan became our youngest nation state and the 194th member of the United Nations. The desire for a durable peace and the responsibility of living up to the standards of a sovereign state fuel the government and people of South Sudan to overcome the many challenges they face.

I have had the privilege of working in this country since 2008, first with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on a programme to help reduce armed violence, then as Advisor to the former Minister of Interior on internal security and conflict mitigation, and now based in Geneva I periodically return to support donor countries in their assistance to the government in its efforts to reform the security sector.

I am happy to come and share some of my experience and insights with you and join you in a discussion on some of the fundamental issues that are raised in the work I do.

How do you reform an army when it is still faced with the very real threat of war?
How do you create good governance and civilian rule of law in a society that has known nothing but violence for the majority of the last half century?
How do you ensure the more vulnerable, such as women and children, have their basic needs met in a patriarchal, militarised society?
How can you downsize an army when there is no job creation and so no alternative livelihoods for soldiers?
How can you expect a citizen to give up his/her weapon when there are no police to maintain security?

There are many more similarly challenging issues. I look forward to your questions and to what I hope will be a lively and interesting event.