Protection of Civilians
Protection broadly encompasses activities aimed at obtaining full respect for the rights of all individuals in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian, human rights, and refugee law. During protracted armed conflict, civilians, particularly women, have increasingly become the victims of violence and insecurity. In 1999, the Security Council first requested a dedicated report by the UN Secretary-General on PoC, followed by the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1265 (1999), which recognized the need for protection against specific threats targeted at civilians in armed conflict and outlined operational obligations to highlight ways to protect civilian populations experiencing armed conflict.
The NGOWG WPS focuses specifically on women’s protection in armed conflict, requesting the Security Council to recognize the broad range of ways women are affected by conflict and to harness international law to mandate needed protection in peacekeeping missions. The Council is also requested to focus on how to concretely implement existing norms related to the protection of civilians, including through the resources available in the Protection of Civilians Aide Memoire (S/PRST/2010/25), to ensure women’s protection. The NGOWG WPS advocates for the deployment of Women’s Protection Advisers as well as the provision of a number of services to female survivors of conflict, including psychosocial services for survivors of sexual violence.
Protection of Civilians
Protection broadly encompasses activities aimed at obtaining full respect for the rights of all individuals in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian, human rights, and refugee law. During protracted armed conflict, civilians, particularly women, have increasingly become the victims of violence and insecurity. In 1999, the Security Council first requested a dedicated report by the UN Secretary-General on PoC, followed by the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1265 (1999), which recognized the need for protection against specific threats targeted at civilians in armed conflict and outlined operational obligations to highlight ways to protect civilian populations experiencing armed conflict.
The NGOWG WPS focuses specifically on women’s protection in armed conflict, requesting the Security Council to recognize the broad range of ways women are affected by conflict and to harness international law to mandate needed protection in peacekeeping missions. The Council is also requested to focus on how to concretely implement existing norms related to the protection of civilians, including through the resources available in the Protection of Civilians Aide Memoire (S/PRST/2010/25), to ensure women’s protection. The NGOWG WPS advocates for the deployment of Women’s Protection Advisers as well as the provision of a number of services to female survivors of conflict, including psychosocial services for survivors of sexual violence.
Current and Past Recommendations to the UN Security Council (Monthly Action Points)
Protection of Civilians (May 2019)
In the expected open debate on protection of civilians (POC), the Council should ensure the discussion is gender-informed. On this 20th anniversary of POC as an item on its agenda, the Council should commit to fully implementing the provisions of its thematic resolutions on POC, WPS and children and armed conflict. The Council should unequivocally condemn violations of IHL and international human rights law by all parties to conflicts. The Council should ensure that UN peace operations can protect civilians adequately, including through reinforcing the importance of women’s participation in all POC strategy development and activities. It is necessary that the Council’s work is grounded in gender-sensitive conflict analysis that contributes to the development of POC strategies and responses that are non-discriminatory and appropriate for all survivors and victims. The Council should encourage the participation and protection of women human rights defenders (WHRDs), peace activists, and survivors with full consideration of their safety, dignity, and the long-term needs of those individuals and their families. The Council should:
- Ensure that gender-sensitive POC is done in cooperation with humanitarian actors and with respect for humanitarian principles and international human rights law. Humanitarian organizations must be able to access women to deliver services and assistance and women must be able to move freely to access them. Furthermore, full funding of the Humanitarian Response Plans for the countries in conflict, especially the GBV cluster, is of utmost importance.
- Encourage host Governments to develop and implement nationally owned multi-sectoral strategies for preventing and responding to SGBV, including effective access to justice.
- Ensure peace operations are fully staffed – comprising appropriately-graded gender advisers – and sufficiently resourced to fulfil their mandates, including WPS obligations.
- Urge relevant regional and/or sub-regional bodies to develop and implement policies, activities and advocacy for the benefit of women and girls affected by armed conflict.
- Urge Member States to identify and regulate the influx of small arms and light weapons (SALW), including by establishing national mechanisms for rigorous, transparent, and gender-sensitive risk assessments of international transfers and export licenses, developed in full consultation with civil society organizations (CSOs), and denying arms sales or transfers authorization wherein arms use risk contravening the Arms Trade Treaty.
In the expected open debate on protection of civilians (POC), the Council should ensure the discussion is gender-informed. On this 20th anniversary of POC as an item on its agenda, the Council should commit to fully implementing the provisions of its thematic resolutions on POC, WPS and children and armed conflict. The Council should unequivocally condemn violations of IHL and international human rights law by all parties to conflicts. The Council should ensure that UN peace operations can protect civilians adequately, including through reinforcing the importance of women’s participation in all POC strategy development and activities. It is necessary that the Council’s work is grounded in gender-sensitive conflict analysis that contributes to the development of POC strategies and responses that are non-discriminatory and appropriate for all survivors and victims. The Council should encourage the participation and protection of women human rights defenders (WHRDs), peace activists, and survivors with full consideration of their safety, dignity, and the long-term needs of those individuals and their families. The Council should:
- Ensure that gender-sensitive POC is done in cooperation with humanitarian actors and with respect for humanitarian principles and international human rights law. Humanitarian organizations must be able to access women to deliver services and assistance and women must be able to move freely to access them. Furthermore, full funding of the Humanitarian Response Plans for the countries in conflict, especially the GBV cluster, is of utmost importance.
- Encourage host Governments to develop and implement nationally owned multi-sectoral strategies for preventing and responding to SGBV, including effective access to justice.
- Ensure peace operations are fully staffed – comprising appropriately-graded gender advisers – and sufficiently resourced to fulfil their mandates, including WPS obligations.
- Urge relevant regional and/or sub-regional bodies to develop and implement policies, activities and advocacy for the benefit of women and girls affected by armed conflict.
- Urge Member States to identify and regulate the influx of small arms and light weapons (SALW), including by establishing national mechanisms for rigorous, transparent, and gender-sensitive risk assessments of international transfers and export licenses, developed in full consultation with civil society organizations (CSOs), and denying arms sales or transfers authorization wherein arms use risk contravening the Arms Trade Treaty.
Relevant Resources
