Protection of Civilians at 25 and Beyond: Understanding and reversing current POC trends

A discussion of new research in a global dialogue series

Amidst devastating levels of civilian harm in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, the Sahel, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and elsewhere, the United Nations reported that the state of the protection of civilians in 2023 was “resoundingly grim” with over 33,000 civilian deaths in armed conflict in 2023, a staggering increase of 72 per cent from 2022, and only a portion of the true figure. 

As 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council’s adoption of a protection of civilians (POC) agenda, and the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, civilians are being killed and injured on an alarming scale. Beyond “collateral damage”, civilians, as well as humanitarians, journalists, and medical workers, are increasingly directly targeted in ever more violent armed conflicts, in direct contravention of international humanitarian and human rights law, norms and practice.

At the UN Security Council annual Open Debate on Protection of Civilians (POC) on 21 May 2024, over 60 Member States shared this sober assessment, of the state of the world’s civilians caught in conflict, a view shared by the NGO Working Group on the Protection of Civilians joint statement signed by 23 NGOs and shared with Security Council members and Member States. As always, civilians suffer disproportionately from the effects of armed conflict and political violence. 

Part of a global dialogue series marking this anniversary, including Protection of Civilians Week 2024 at the UN in May 2024, this event will facilitate a dialogue of current trends based on the results of the year’s dialogues, and the release of “POC at 25 and Beyond: The Protection of Civilians Trends Report”, a new flagship report (release date October 2024) providing an overview of global datasets and indicators, evidence-based analysis, civil society-led research, and storytelling featuring civilian voices in conflict contexts. The report aims to call attention to the urgency and feasibility of protecting civilians from armed conflict, while sharing strategies to improve accountability under international law, and the resilience of communities to reverse these trends.

This dialogue aims to outline current protection gaps and emerging threats to civilians across contexts and to converge insights from multiple fora to help generate action, resources, and support to better recognize the effects of conflict on civilians, prevent harm from occurring in the future, protect civilians and their communities today, and amend harm that has occurred.

Opening Remarks

• Andrea Aeby, Counselor, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to UNOG.

Speakers

• Lauren Spink - Researcher, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
• Aribani Ibachi -  Head of Protection of Civilians Unit, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• Camille Risler - Programme Manager, Global Survivor Network, Mukwege Foundation
• Dima Asfour -  Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Observer Mission of the state of Palestine to the UN

Moderator

•  Wendy MacClinchy -  Director UN Program, CIVIC

Interpretation

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Live streaming

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Main organiser

• Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)

Co-Organizers

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Switzerland
• Kingdom of the Netherlands