Backstage at the UN-NATO Protection of Civilians course

The objective of NATO-UN PoC course is to bring together civil and military representatives working in the field of Protection of Civilians, to increase their practical understanding of the role of the UN, NATO and civilian organizations as protection actors in operations and to develop cooperation and mutual understanding between them. Students from 12 countries and teachers from 9 participated in the course. These include representatives from different sections of the UN and NATO, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), International Organisation (IOs), units of the defence forces and ministries of a number of nations.

PAX was part of the development of the pilot version of the course in October 2018, and facilitated both in 2018 and April 2019 a training session on the ‘Protection of Civilians: Recall Effects & Failures’ (Wilbert van der Zeijden).

This year’s participants Sudi Suleiman (Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Selma van Oostwaard (PAX) will take you backstage in their vlog.

Representatives from the following organisations have attended the course:
UN – United Nations
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization
CIVIC – The Center for Civilians in Conflict
PKSOI – United States Peacekeeping and Stability Institute
NODEFIC – Norwegian Defense International Centre
PAX – Peace Organization
Netherlands MFA – Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
ICRC – International Committee of the Red Cross
CCOE – Civil-Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence