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 2018)
In the expected open debate on protection of civilians (POC), the Council should ensure there is a gender-informed discussion on POC and reinforce the importance of women’s participation in all POC strategy development and activities. It is necessary that the Council ensure a gender perspective is integrated in all mandate renewals and resolutions, particularly by ensuring women’s participation in the design and implementation of specific strategies to protect civilians, as well as including gender-specific analysis to the definition of POC strategies and responses, including to acts of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). Further, the Council should ensure women’s full and meaningful participation in all efforts to resolve and prevent conflict. This includes support for women’s participation in all peace and reconciliation processes – including access to formal processes and support for local initiatives, security sector reform; and disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation. The Council should:
- Urge humanitarian and development organizations, peace operations and other relevant staff to take action to prevent SEA, including vetting, robust pre-deployment and in-theatre awareness training and ensuring compliance.
- 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 humanitarian services and assistance. Furthermore, full funding of the Humanitarian Response Plans for the countries in conflict, especially the Gender-based Violence (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 and other UN missions are fully staffed – comprising appropriately graded gender advisers – and sufficiently resourced to fulfil the gendered elements of their mandates.
- 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 CSOs, and denying arms sales or transfers authorization wherein arms use risk contravening the ATT.
In the expected open debate on protection of civilians (POC), the Council should ensure there is a gender-informed discussion on POC and reinforce the importance of women’s participation in all POC strategy development and activities. It is necessary that the Council ensure a gender perspective is integrated in all mandate renewals and resolutions, particularly by ensuring women’s participation in the design and implementation of specific strategies to protect civilians, as well as including gender-specific analysis to the definition of POC strategies and responses, including to acts of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). Further, the Council should ensure women’s full and meaningful participation in all efforts to resolve and prevent conflict. This includes support for women’s participation in all peace and reconciliation processes – including access to formal processes and support for local initiatives, security sector reform; and disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation. The Council should:
- Urge humanitarian and development organizations, peace operations and other relevant staff to take action to prevent SEA, including vetting, robust pre-deployment and in-theatre awareness training and ensuring compliance.
- 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 humanitarian services and assistance. Furthermore, full funding of the Humanitarian Response Plans for the countries in conflict, especially the Gender-based Violence (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 and other UN missions are fully staffed – comprising appropriately graded gender advisers – and sufficiently resourced to fulfil the gendered elements of their mandates.
- 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 CSOs, and denying arms sales or transfers authorization wherein arms use risk contravening the ATT.
Relevant Resources
