Parliaments have a vital role to play in the good governance of the security sector and the provision of transparent and accountable public security. This handbook is divided into eight sections, each containing several chapters and can be read in two different ways. A complete reading of the Handbook will provide the most comprehensive understanding of security issues and the role of parliamentary oversight. However, it is also possible to make a selective reading of those sections and chapters which are of particular concern to the user. The index and various cross-references are designed for this purpose. Throughout the Handbook, there are separate boxes which clarify complex issues in the main text, provide examples of laws or regulations, and highlight practices of parliamentary oversight of the security sector in various countries. At the end of most chapters, there is a section called “what you can do as a parliamentarian," where concrete recommendations are given. However, these recommendations must be observed from the national context.