Twenty-five years ago, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decided protection of civilians (POC) in armed conflict was an issue of international peace and security, and it tasked the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) with the first explicit mandate to protect civilians from threats of physical violence.
Prior to this, peacekeeping missions helped protect populations through activities including monitoring ceasefires, disarming combatants and supporting peace negotiations. They, according to the UN POC team in the UN Division of Policy, Training and Evaluation (DPET), were not Security Council authorised to intervene with force to protect populations.
The UNAMSIL decision was a ground-breaking step, establishing protection of civilians as a core responsibility for UN peacekeeping missions in conflict zones. This role remains critical as conflicts have surged globally with catastrophic effects on civilian populations, including an alarming 72% increase in civilian deaths last year (2023), the UN said.
National state authorities are responsible for protecting populations in their territories and peacekeepers support them in this. However, in some peacekeeping contexts where host states are unwilling or unable to fully meet this responsibility, the Security Council empowers peacekeepers to step in. In these cases, peacekeeping missions are authorised to prevent and stop threats of physical violence against civilians, including the use of force when needed.
In missions with a POC mandate, all peacekeepers – civilian, police and military – are responsible for protecting civilians. They co-ordinate with each other as well as with local authorities and UN staff outside their respective missions. While peacekeepers are not resourced to protect all populations at all times, peacekeeping missions use all available tools to prevent conflict before it starts and protect those most at risk from violence.
Over the past 25 years, the POC mandate has become a cornerstone of UN peacekeeping operations, shaping how missions prevent and respond to violence against civilians, the UN said. Sixteen peacekeeping missions have been mandated to protect civilians, including five missions currently deployed in Central African Republic (CAR) (MINUSCA), Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Lebanon (UNIFIL), Abeyi (UNISFAU) and South Sudan (UNMISS).
To commemorate this 25-year journey, UN peacekeeping is launching a ‘Profiles in POC’ campaign that will, over the next few months, share personal stories and reflections showcasing POC efforts on the front lines. The series traces the evolution of the mandate from inception in 1999 to the present day. From field operations in conflict affected areas to strategic decision making at the UN Security Council, the stories capture the breadth of contributions from those advancing the POC mandate. Each profile reveals a unique narrative, shedding light on challenges, successes and lessons learned in ongoing efforts to protect civilians from the violence of war.
The stories honour the commitment of all working to uphold the POC mandate and serve as reminders of the dedication and resilience of peacekeepers, uniformed and civilian as well as peacekeeping stakeholders, the UN said.
One of the early reminiscences is provided by General Patrick Cammaert, in 2005 as leader of MONUC (the then UN Mission in DRC, later renamed MONUSCO).
It reads: “When General Cammaert arrived in eastern DRC in 2005, the region was, in his own words, ‘in flames’. Civilians were under constant threat and militias wreaked havoc everywhere. Before Cammaert was deployed to command the Eastern Division in MONUC, Secretary-General Kofi Annan had one message for him: ‘General, I want you to take action. Good luck.’ That was it. No detailed guidelines, just a mandate to protect civilians under threat of physical violence”.
“Coming from New York, where he’d served as Military Advisor to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for a couple years, Cammaert had a clear perspective. ‘Something had to be done to protect these civilians. People in New York understood that. It was the “how” that was unclear. The POC mandate was still quite new and few had the experience or the answers, so we had to define it.’ To Cammaert, a mandate is only as strong as the will and leadership behind it. ‘It always comes down to these two crucial elements. Will is political, leadership is personal, and both are essential for success’.
“Cammaert knew the first thing to do was restore confidence in the UN. Immediately after the division established its headquarters, Cammaert and his troops moved around non-stop, engaging in risky cordon and search operations. ‘We had a will to implement the mandate using force if we had to, according to the Rules of Engagement (RoEs). We quickly disarmed 18 000 militias in the Ituri District by taking them by the ear and saying: ‘You disarm, or we’ll make you disarm’. It sent a strong message that the UN was serious and capable of taking action. ‘We warned them: don’t mess with the UN or you’ll pay the price’.
“Cammaert’s approach was not just about brute strength. It was about smart tactics and creativity. When his division did not have the necessary strength or capabilities, they resorted to innovative strategies, using the available materiel to distract and confuse the armed groups, so they couldn’t predict UN movements. ‘We had to be creative,’ says Cammaert. ‘That’s how we succeeded, by thinking outside the box. Creativity is crucial for POC, but it’s more stifled today’.
“On a trip to a different region, Cammaert and his team met with local elders. They complained that the UN wasn’t doing enough or patrolling correctly. He compared the situation to New York, where you could call 911 in an emergency. There was nothing like that in DRC. So, the Mission did something about it – they launched Operation Night Flash, setting up Community Alert Networks (CANs), where locals could alert the UN to trouble using phones or signals like church bells, whistles, etc. and the UN would urgently deploy quick reaction forces to deter the threat. Within six months, over 70 villages and hamlets were connected. During such an operation, units were using illumination mortar rounds, lighting up the night sky after being alerted, to scare off attackers.
“For Cammaert, protecting civilians wasn’t just part of the Mission’s mandate – it is the raison d’être of peacekeeping. ‘POC, in fact, is why you’re there. You drop everything when people are being killed, tortured and raped. You cannot be everywhere, but wherever you are deployed, you must protect civilians’.”
