UN Photo: Loey Felipe
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Protection Policies

Though Protection of Civilians (PoC) commitments are institutionalized in mandates and policies, missions often struggle to meet the needs and priorities of civilians in conflict. PAX advocates for civilian-centered PoC strategies informed by community engagement and accountable practices.

Placing civilians at the center of PoC
To increase the relevance and effectiveness of PoC interventions, missions must develop and implement civilian-centered protection strategies that are responsive to local needs and priorities. PAX therefore promotes protection policies that are based upon meaningful and inclusive engagement with civilians and comprehensive accountability structures.

PAX engages with the UN, NATO, EU and other international security actors and institutions on how to improve effectiveness and accountability in PoC. To achieve that, we promote inclusive PoC policies, a human security approach to threat analysis methodologies, and conflict-sensitive community engagement.

PAX’s approach includes:
– Convening local and international experts to identify best practices in community engagement
– Providing guidance to missions and military institutions in how to develop inclusive PoC policies
– Advising militaries in how to adapt PoC policies into operational strategies grounded in local realities

For more information, see PAX’s Engaging International Actors on PoC and Protection in Practice projects.

UN Photo: Loey Felipe
report 20 May 2022

Civil society statement on the Protection of Civilians in urban conflict (2022)

Ahead of the UN Protection of Civilians week 2022 (23-27 May), PAX has joined over twenty civil society organizations in calling for bolder action from the UN Security Council to protect civilians in armed conflict.

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