About this publication Shared governance of the security sector responds to the question of the involvement of all components of a nation in managing their security concerns. Based on human security, the concept of shared governance of the security sector highlights the mechanisms that identify the roles and responsibilities of actors called upon to take ownership of the initiative in a participatory manner, with the necessary oversight and accountability required from any reliable democratic process. The Malian experience that is presented in this publication shows that the involvement of actors other than the usual sovereign forces to share the security sector management is possible and even more, can be replicated at a regional level, for so little that policy makers in West Africa pledge to develop a common strategy to fight against insecurity.