The use of explosive weapons in populated areas has been identified as a key issue on the protection of civilians agenda by states and organizations over recent years. Operational policies and procedures provide guidance for armed forces including over the choice of weapons and how weapons can be used. Such policies and procedures to assess, reduce, and mitigate civilian harm…
For over 30 years, United Nations Member States have observed World Food Day on October 16 to address problems of hunger and poverty around the globe. Food insecurity, which affects more than 800 million people globally, is exacerbated in some of the world’s poorest regions by violence and conflict. This year, in keeping with the…
When I talk to people about armed conflict today, I usually get one of two responses: “The fighting is so far away and has lasted so long that nothing can be done about it,” or “If only there were stronger military responses, all terrorist groups, like Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaida, would be defeated.” Our experience talking with civilians, security forces, and other stakeholders in conflict zones around the world shows that reality is far more nuanced. Since its founding in 2003, CIVIC has witnessed modern conflict’s increasingly devastating –…
By: Shannon N. Green and Daniel R. Mahanty “What if the problem with the forever war is that it’s too humane?” That question was posed by Samuel Moyn, a professor of history and law at Yale University, at the outset of a recent lecture he gave at Duke School of Law. By opening his lecture in this way,…
Almost two decades ago, following consecutive catastrophic peacekeeping failures in Rwanda and Srebrenica, world leaders turned the protection of civilians into a non-negotiable priority for UN peacekeepers. Recognizing that such failures undermined the entire enterprise of peacekeeping, in 1999, the UN Security Council began authorizing peacekeeping operations to protect civilians. In the years since,…
By: Piper Hendricks and Kate Raley On this International Day of Peace, CIVIC stands committed to strengthening the United Nations’ ideals of peace and reaffirms our call for a world where armed actors recognize the dignity and the rights of civilians, actively prevent civilian harm, protect civilians caught in conflict, and offer amends when harm…
By: William Meeker It was a match to win, a goal that would have moved Nigeria to the next round and, more importantly, bring joy to a nation whose uniting factor has always been the beautiful game. Staring at an open net with the goalkeeper beaten, Yakubu scuffed his chance and placed his name in…
By: Alison Giffen United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres rightly prioritizes performance by including it as one of the five pillars of his Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) reform initiative. Peacekeeping operations are a principal tool, and one of the most expensive and visible ways, that the UN intervenes to prevent and mitigate conflict. Improving peacekeeping performance…
