The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
May 9, 2023

BRIEF: Centering Civilians in Yemen’s Fragile Peace Process

The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
April 5, 2023

Addressing Gendered and Intersectional Barriers to Reporting Civilian Harm

The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
March 29, 2023

Fact Sheet: The Leahy Law “Duty to Inform” and Human Rights Vetting for Non-Traceable Assistance

The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
March 28, 2023

Self-Protection in Practice: Ukrainian Efforts to Avoid Harm During the Russian Invasion

Civilian Harm in Armed Conflict: Primers
January 17, 2023

Civilian Harm in Armed Conflict: Primers

The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
December 22, 2022

Protégés Ou Délaissés: Les Civils s’Interrogent sur la Capacité de la MINUSMA à Protéger au Centre du Mali

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December 2, 2022

Privatizing War: The Impact of Private Military Companies on the Protection of Civilians

Implementation Brief: Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
November 11, 2022

Implementation Brief: Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas

The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
November 10, 2022

Prioritizing the Protection of Civilians During Peacekeeping Transitions: Lessons Learned from MONUSCO

مقدمة حول التخفیف من الضرر المدني خلال العملیات العسكریة في المناطق الحضریة
October 18, 2022

مقدمة حول التخفیف من الضرر المدني خلال العملیات العسكریة في المناطق الحضریة

The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
August 10, 2022

Implementation of “Do No Harm” by UN Peacekeepers in South Sudan

Growing Use of Private Military and Security Companies in Conflict Settings: How to Reduce Threats to Civilians
July 29, 2022

Growing Use of Private Military and Security Companies in Conflict Settings: How to Reduce Threats to Civilians

A Primer on Civilian Harm Mitigation in Urban Operations
June 16, 2022

A Primer on Civilian Harm Mitigation in Urban Operations

تجاھل الفئة الأكثر ضـعـفـاً في الـعـراق: محنـة النازحیـن
May 24, 2022

تجاھل الفئة الأكثر ضـعـفـاً في الـعـراق: محنـة النازحیـن

When the Biden administration takes office on January 20, 2021, it will have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to better protect civilians caught in armed conflict through concrete improvements in US policy. This document, based on CIVIC’s experience and expertise working on the protection of civilians globally, lays out our recommendations for the Biden administration in 2021 and beyond.
May 6, 2022

How U.S. Congress Can Use Section 502B

This protection snapshot explores the impact of shifting AOG tactics on civilians and the Nigerian military’s response in Monguno town.
March 31, 2022

Civilian Protection Snapshot: Monguno, Nigeria

Emerging Patterns of Civilian Harm in Ukraine
March 9, 2022

Emerging Patterns of Civilian Harm in Ukraine

Alerte précoce et réponse rapide : Renforcer la capacité de la MINUSMA à protéger les civils
February 23, 2022

Alerte précoce et réponse rapide : Renforcer la capacité de la MINUSMA à protéger les civils

Human Rights, Civilian Harm, and Arms Sales: A Primer on U.S. Law and Policy
February 15, 2022

Human Rights, Civilian Harm, and Arms Sales: A Primer on U.S. Law and Policy

Improving Casualty Evacuations in UN Peacekeeping: MINUSMA’s Experience of Decentralizing Launch Authority
January 12, 2022

Improving Casualty Evacuations in UN Peacekeeping: MINUSMA’s Experience of Decentralizing Launch Authority

While civilians have said that the security situation in Gwoza has improved each year since the Nigerian military recaptured the town, challenges to protection still remain.
December 14, 2021

Civilian Protection Snapshot: Gwoza, Nigeria

When the Biden administration takes office on January 20, 2021, it will have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to better protect civilians caught in armed conflict through concrete improvements in US policy. This document, based on CIVIC’s experience and expertise working on the protection of civilians globally, lays out our recommendations for the Biden administration in 2021 and beyond.
October 4, 2021

Promoting the Rule of Law and Good Governance – Security Force Assistance Implications in International Initiatives

When the Biden administration takes office on January 20, 2021, it will have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to better protect civilians caught in armed conflict through concrete improvements in US policy. This document, based on CIVIC’s experience and expertise working on the protection of civilians globally, lays out our recommendations for the Biden administration in 2021 and beyond.
September 20, 2021

Demystifying End-Use Monitoring in U.S. Arms Exports

У зоні невизначеності: гібридна війна та захист цивільних в Україні
September 14, 2021

У зоні невизначеності: гібридна війна та захист цивільних в Україні

Élaborée à partir de recherches menées précédemment par CIVIC en République démocratique du Congo, au Soudan du Sud, au Mali, en République centrafricaine, ainsi que de sources secondaires, la nouvelle note d’orientation de CIVIC, Systèmes d’alerte précoce et de réponse rapide: quelle mise en œuvre par les opérations de maintien de la paix de l’ONU ?, a pour but de sensibiliser sur les nouveaux efforts à déployer pour renforcer les politiques et pratiques d’alerte précoce et de réponse rapide dans le contexte du maintien de la paix des Nations Unies.
August 16, 2021

Systèmes d’alerte précoce et de réponse rapide: quelle mise en œuvre par les opérations de maintien de la paix de l’ONU ?

Building Bridges, Reinforcing Protection: How NATO's Protection of Civilians Framework Influenced Ukraine's Approach
July 29, 2021

Building Bridges, Reinforcing Protection: How NATO’s Protection of Civilians Framework Influenced Ukraine’s Approach

Entering the Grey-Zone: Hybrid Warfare and the Protection of Civilians in Ukraine
July 1, 2021

Entering the Grey-Zone: Hybrid Warfare and the Protection of Civilians in Ukraine

CIVIC’s policy brief, “Ignoring Iraq’s Most Vulnerable: The Plight of Displaced Persons”, looks at the challenges IDPs face in returning to their areas of origin and the dangers they face while they remain displaced.
April 12, 2021

Ignoring Iraq’s Most Vulnerable: The Plight of Displaced Persons

CIVIC’s policy brief, “Early Warning and Rapid Response: Reinforcing MINUSMA's Ability to Protect Civilians”, explores two core questions: Why did MINUSMA develop formal EW/RR procedures? And how are these new procedures intended to improve the effectiveness of MINUSMA's EW/RR response system?
April 6, 2021

Early Warning and Rapid Response: Reinforcing MINUSMA’s Ability to Protect Civilians

Based on CIVIC's past research in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Mali, and the Central African Republic, as well as secondary sources, CIVIC’s new policy brief aims to raise awareness about new efforts to strengthen EW/RR policy and practice in the context of UN peacekeeping.
January 21, 2021

Early Warning and Rapid Response Takes Root in UN Peacekeeping

When the Biden administration takes office on January 20, 2021, it will have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to better protect civilians caught in armed conflict through concrete improvements in US policy. This document, based on CIVIC’s experience and expertise working on the protection of civilians globally, lays out our recommendations for the Biden administration in 2021 and beyond.
December 22, 2020

Unacknowledged Harm: Hurdles to Receiving Victims’ Assistance in Afghanistan

When the Biden administration takes office on January 20, 2021, it will have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to better protect civilians caught in armed conflict through concrete improvements in US policy. This document, based on CIVIC’s experience and expertise working on the protection of civilians globally, lays out our recommendations for the Biden administration in 2021 and beyond.
December 16, 2020

Reversing the Trend: CIVIC Blueprint for US Protection of Civilians Policy in 2021 and Beyond

عالقون: أثر الانقسام الامني والسياسي على حماية المدنيين في سنجار
November 23, 2020

عالقون: أثر الانقسام الامني والسياسي على حماية المدنيين في سنجار

Barriers and Bridges to Protection: Civil-Military Engagement in Northeast Nigeria
October 30, 2020

Barriers and Bridges to Protection: Civil-Military Engagement in Northeast Nigeria

At a moment when U.S. arms transfers are making headlines for the wrong reasons – from Yemen to the Philippines and Latin America – members of Congress find themselves with few options to withhold U.S.-made weapons from governments that suppress democracy, systematically violate human rights, or devastate civilian populations caught in armed conflict.
October 13, 2020

Great Responsibility: A Legislative Reform Agenda for U.S. Arms Transfers and Civilian Harm

Closing the Gap: Implementation of Protection of Civilians Policies
October 6, 2020

Closing the Gap: Implementation of Protection of Civilians Policies

Civilian Protection Snapshot: Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly in Northeast Nigeria
September 17, 2020

Civilian Protection Snapshot: Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly in Northeast Nigeria

Soutenir et Protéger : L’application de la Politique de diligence voulue en matière de droits de l’Homme par la MONUSCO en République démocratique du Congo
August 13, 2020

Soutenir et Protéger : L’application de la Politique de diligence voulue en matière de droits de l’Homme par la MONUSCO en République démocratique du Congo

Afghan Airstrikes: Good Practices and Challenges to Protect Civilians
August 12, 2020

Afghan Airstrikes: Good Practices and Challenges to Protect Civilians

فقط نريد من يتكفل بحمايتنا: تحديات الحماية المدنية في كركوك
August 10, 2020

فقط نريد من يتكفل بحمايتنا: تحديات الحماية المدنية في كركوك

In South Sudan, implementation of a 2018 revitalized peace agreement has been a slow-moving and elite dominated process. The United Nations peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has developed a program of work that ties together national support to the peace process with subnational engagement on protection and peacebuilding.
June 15, 2020

Protection through Dialogue: How UNMISS is Linking Local Engagement with a National Peace Process in South Sudan

This policy brief provides a summary of the role and authority of the National Guard in the United States, to include the rules governing the use of force; describes the processes by which incidents and allegations of human rights abuse or civilian harm are received and managed; and proposes recommendations for consideration by State and National Guard authorities and the federal government’s National Guard Bureau.
June 10, 2020

The US National Guard and Public Order Management

The peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) faces a paradox. MONUSCO is mandated both to protect civilians and to support operations by the Congolese national army (FARDC), a military whose soldiers are regularly responsible for endangering civilians by committing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
June 9, 2020

Enabling Support by Mitigating Risk: MONUSCO’s Implementation of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

We Just Want Someone To Protect Us: Civilian Protection Challenges in Kirkuk
January 28, 2020

We Just Want Someone To Protect Us: Civilian Protection Challenges in Kirkuk

Cela fait 20 ans que la Mission de l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en  république démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO), et son prédécesseur la MONUC, sont déployées dans le pays. Au cours des dernières années, la MONUSCO a subi des pressions de plus en plus fortes pour élaborer un plan de retrait progressif et une stratégie de sortie de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC).
January 22, 2020

Préparer l’avenir du maintien de la paix en République démocratique du Congo

Afghanistan: Community Engagement on Civilian Protection
December 2, 2019

Afghanistan: Community Engagement on Civilian Protection

Nigerian Community Militias: Toward A Solution
November 12, 2019

Nigerian Community Militias: Toward A Solution

Charting a Future For Peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of Congo
October 21, 2019

Charting a Future For Peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of Congo

POC20: Twenty Years of the Protection of Civilians – Challenges, Progress, and Priorities for the Future
September 20, 2019

POC20: Twenty Years of the Protection of Civilians – Challenges, Progress, and Priorities for the Future

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August 12, 2019

Strengthened Planning in UN Peacekeeping Operations: How MINUSMA is Reinforcing its Strategic Planning Unit

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November 28, 2018

“We Hope, But We Are Hopeless”

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June 7, 2018

Engagement Communautaire de la MONUSCO Avec une Présence Réduite Sur le Terrain

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June 6, 2018

Community Engagement by MONUSCO with Reduced Field Presence

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May 9, 2018

Mosul: Civilian Protection Challenges Post-ISIS

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May 8, 2018

الموصل: تحدّيات الحماية المدنية في مرحلة ما بعد داعش

توانمندسازی جامعه مدنی و اجتماعات محلی افغانستان در زمینه حفاظت از غیرنظامیان: دریافت های کلیدی
December 6, 2017

توانمندسازی جامعه مدنی و اجتماعات محلی افغانستان در زمینه حفاظت از غیرنظامیان: دریافت های کلیدی

Empowering Afghan Civil Society and Communities on Civilian Protection: Key Takeaways
December 5, 2017

Empowering Afghan Civil Society and Communities on Civilian Protection: Key Takeaways

Protection Of Civilians In Mosul: Identifying Lessons For Contingency Planning
October 17, 2017

Protection Of Civilians In Mosul: Identifying Lessons For Contingency Planning

Recommendations to Anti-ISIS Coalition on Operations in Syria
June 20, 2017

Recommendations to Anti-ISIS Coalition on Operations in Syria

Policy Brief on Civilian Protection in the Current Mosul Campaign
February 27, 2017

Policy Brief on Civilian Protection in the Current Mosul Campaign

Challenges and Conditions for Deploying an Effective Regional Protection Force to South Sudan
October 31, 2016

Challenges and Conditions for Deploying an Effective Regional Protection Force to South Sudan

Operationalizing Protection of Civilians in NATO Operations
November 30, 2015

Operationalizing Protection of Civilians in NATO Operations

Addressing Civilian Casualties: Implementation Plan for an Afghan Civilian Casualty Mitigation Team
October 15, 2015

Addressing Civilian Casualties: Implementation Plan for an Afghan Civilian Casualty Mitigation Team

Protection of Civilians by the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan
September 3, 2015

Protection of Civilians by the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan

Recommendations on Civilian Protection Measures in Yemen
September 3, 2015

Recommendations on Civilian Protection Measures in Yemen

Iraq: Learning Civilian Protection the Hard Way
July 30, 2015

Iraq: Learning Civilian Protection the Hard Way

Issue Brief: Ex-gratia Payments in Afghanistan
May 12, 2015

Issue Brief: Ex-gratia Payments in Afghanistan

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April 30, 2015

Acknowledge, Amend, Assist: Addressing Civilian Harm Caused by Armed Conflict and Armed Violence

Syria: Civilian Harm and Assistance
September 16, 2013

Syria: Civilian Harm and Assistance

Backgrounder: Tracking Civilian Harm
August 12, 2013

Backgrounder: Tracking Civilian Harm

Changing of the Guard: Civilian Protection for an Evolving Military
June 20, 2013

Changing of the Guard: Civilian Protection for an Evolving Military

Operationalizing Civilian Protection in Mali
June 12, 2013

Operationalizing Civilian Protection in Mali

The Constitutional and Counterterrorism Implications of Targeted Killing
May 1, 2013

The Constitutional and Counterterrorism Implications of Targeted Killing

CIVIC Inputs to OCHA on a Peacekeeping Operation in Mali
March 25, 2013

CIVIC Inputs to OCHA on a Peacekeeping Operation in Mali

Opposition Aid in Syria
March 7, 2013

Opposition Aid in Syria

Syria: Minimizing Civilian Harm During Military Intervention
February 26, 2013

Syria: Minimizing Civilian Harm During Military Intervention

Issue Brief: Civilian Protection and Harm Response in Libya
January 14, 2013

Issue Brief: Civilian Protection and Harm Response in Libya

Issue Brief: Civilian Protection in Syria (December 2012)
December 6, 2012

Issue Brief: Civilian Protection in Syria (December 2012)

Floor Statement at the Informal UN Debate Responsibility While Protecting
February 21, 2012

Floor Statement at the Informal UN Debate Responsibility While Protecting

No Time to Lose: Promoting the Accountability of the Afghan National Security Forces
May 10, 2011

No Time to Lose: Promoting the Accountability of the Afghan National Security Forces

Nowhere to Turn: The Failure to Protect Civilians in Afghanistan
November 19, 2010

Nowhere to Turn: The Failure to Protect Civilians in Afghanistan

Backgrounder: US Condolence Payments
June 18, 2010

Backgrounder: US Condolence Payments

United States Military Compensation to Civilians in Armed Conflict
May 7, 2010

United States Military Compensation to Civilians in Armed Conflict

Compensating Civilian Casualties: “I am sorry for your loss and I wish you well in a free Iraq”
May 30, 2008

Compensating Civilian Casualties: “I am sorry for your loss and I wish you well in a free Iraq”

US Military Claims System for Civilians
April 30, 2008

US Military Claims System for Civilians

Evaluating the Civilian-Use Model of Wartime Property Damage
July 16, 2007

Evaluating the Civilian-Use Model of Wartime Property Damage

Image courtesy of Kate Holt