Southern Africa has embarked on one of the world's most ambitious security co-operation initiatives, seeking to roll out the principles of the United Nations at regional levels. This book examines the triangular relationship between democratisation, the character of democracy and its deficits, and national security practices and perceptions of eleven southern African states. It explores what impact these processes and practices have had on the collaborative security project in the region.Based on national studies conducted by African academics and security practitioners over three years, it includes an examination of the way security is conceived and managed, as well as a comparative analysis of regional security co-operation in the developing world.The study concludes that democratisation is ambiguous and uncertain and can in some cases generate violent conflict. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that the current levels of co-operation would have been achieved without shared democratic norms, even if they are honoured sometimes more in the breach than the observance. Building a common security regime in southern Africa will require moving beyond regime solidarity, and further trade-offs between state sovereignty and the benefits of shared security will be needed. In particular, progress will mean building multinational institutions, entrenching democratic practices, drawing on civil society, and integrating the southern African project with that of the African Union. The authors conclude with a set of policy recommendations that aim to strengthen both states and civil society within the framework of an emerging common security system.