The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Brig. Gen Jack Nziza, has urged states to reform their security sector through joint efforts.Speaking at the opening of the international course on Security Sector Reform (Level II) at Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze, Nziza said that reforming the security sector requires consensus on broader aspects of security, the most crucial being individual and community security aspects. "Security is an underlying factor in achieving democracy, good governance and administration of justice. It is the pivot of enhancing public safety and sustainable development,” Nziza underscored that successful security sector reforms also require strong political will as well as proper planning and effective coordination of all relevant stakeholders.He challenged participants to undertake the task of transforming and strengthening national institutions while at the same time protecting and advancing the dignity of their respective countries upon completion of the course."It requires understanding of the process and challenges involved in the reform and this is the core objective of the course,” he said. The week-long course that has attracted participants from Burundi, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda,  was organised by the Geneva-based International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) and supported by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Participants included respective officials in charge of demobilisation, unity and reconciliation, human rights and good governance.The course is a follow up of a similar course that was hosted at the same centre in February this year and is the first of its kind to be held on the African continent.The Director of the Academy, Col. Jill Rutaremara, said at the end of the course that potential roles of practitioners of a national security sector reform process will have been discussed."At the end of the day, participants will have shared with each other the challenges affecting their own countries in regard to security sector reform.”