Protection of Civilians

  • Tomorrow (10 June), the Security Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in the context of peacekeeping operations. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic are expected to address...

  • June 2016

    Protection of Civilians

    Monthly Forecast

    In June, the Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in the context of peacekeeping operations. Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French minister of foreign affairs and international development, will preside. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic and ICRC President Peter Maurer (via video teleconference) are expected to address the Council. It is possible that a high-level representative from the UN Children’s Fund will brief as well.  At press time, no immediate Council outcome was anticipated.

  • Tomorrow afternoon (6 May), Egypt, Security Council president and Arab Group representative, together with Angola, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela, has organised an Arria-formula meeting on the protection of the Palestinian civilian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The meeting,...

  • Tomorrow (3 May), the Security Council will hold a briefing and adopt a resolution on health care in armed conflict. Briefers will include the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Peter Maurer, the President of the ICRC; and Joanne Liu, the President...

  • May 2016

    Protection of Civilians

    Monthly Forecast

    In early May, the Security Council will hold a briefing on attacks on medical facilities and personnel in armed conflict as a part of its protection of civilians agenda. During the meeting, the Council is expected to adopt a resolution condemning attacks on health care workers and facilities and demanding compliance with international humanitarian law with regard to this issue.  While yet to be confirmed at press time, it appeared that briefers would include high-level representatives from the UN, the ICRC and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

  • Tomorrow morning (29 March), Ambassador Ismael Gaspar Martins (Angola) and Ambassador Román Oyarzun (Spain) will co-chair an Arria-formula meeting on food security, nutrition, and peace. Members are expected to discuss the interlinkages between food security and peace in the context...

  • 26 January 2016

    Arria-Formula Meeting on Missing Persons

    What's in Blue

    Tomorrow (27 January), the UK is planning to host an Arria-formula meeting open to UN member states, UN entities, civil society and the media, on the “The Global Challenge of Accounting for Missing Persons from Conflict, Human Rights Abuses, Disasters,...

  • 15 January 2016

    Open Debate: Protection of Civilians

    What's in Blue

    On Tuesday (19 January), the Security Council will hold an open debate on the protection of civilians, which will be chaired by José Luis Cancela, Uruguay’s Vice-Minister for External Relations. UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, International Committee of the Red...

  • January 2016

    Protection of Civilians

    Monthly Forecast

    In January, the Council is planning to hold an open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The debate is expected to focus on the Secretary-General’s June 2015 report on the protection of civilians and the recommendations in the June 2015 report of the High-Level Implementation Panel on Peace Operations (HIPPO) relevant to the protection of civilians. Although unclear at press time, a presidential statement could be a possible outcome.

  • On Wednesday (16 December), the US has organised a briefing on trafficking in persons in situations of conflict. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson will brief along with Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC)....

  • On Monday (14 December), Council members are scheduled to hold an Arria-formula meeting, co-hosted by Chile and Spain, on the responsibility to protect (RtoP) and non-state actors. The meeting is open to all member states, observer missions and civil society....

  • Tomorrow (9 December), the Security Council will adopt a resolution initiated by Jordan on youth, peace and security which recognises the contribution of youth in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, and warns against the rise of radicalisation to violence...

  • Today (25 November) the Council plans to adopt a presidential statement on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. The initial draft was circulated to members last Thursday (19 November) and one round of negotiations was held on the following...

  • On Friday (13 November), the Council will be briefed on the challenges of policing within a protection of civilians mandate. Under-Secretary-General for UN Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous is expected to brief. Other briefers will include: Pascal Champion, Police Commissioner of...

  • In the lead-up to the UN’s 70th anniversary on 24 October, three initiatives addressing one of the more challenging issues facing the organisation—how the Security Council can more effectively prevent and halt mass atrocities—have been garnering considerable attention. These include: a French initiative; the Accountability, Coherence, and Transparency Group (ACT) initiative; and a reform proposal by the Elders.