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7711th Security Council Meeting: Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict - Part 1
All facets of United Nations peacekeeping missions had a vital role to play in keeping civilians safe, speakers in the Security Council said today, as high-ranking officials, including a Head of State and several ministers, participated in a wide-ranging open debate on the protection of civilians in the context of peacekeeping operations.
Presenting his report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (document S/2016/447) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the Secretariat was doing its utmost to support missions through a renewed focus on performance and accountability. Peacekeeping operations were most effective in protecting civilians when protection was considered a mission-wide activity, driven by a sound political strategy, he added.
He said protecting civilians was an over-arching responsibility involving all critical functions of the United Nations: human rights, humanitarian, political and peacekeeping, although Governments and parties to conflict also had a responsibility to uphold their protection responsibilities, ensure compliance with international law, and take precautions to prevent harm to civilians.
President Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic noted that the international peacekeeping operation deployed in his country had worked to ensure the protection of civilians there for a considerable period. Thanks to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and other international operations, the Transition Government had managed to quickly put an end to mass atrocities, he said.
Due to those efforts, the country’s security environment had become more conducive to local dialogue and the Bangui Forum, as well as legislative and presidential elections, he said. The impact could be measured by the return of displaced populations and refugees, which had accelerated in recent months. They wished to return to their country, to greater justice, to reconciliation among communities, to freedom of movement and to peace, he said, emphasizing: “Together, we must do more and do better to ensure the protection of populations throughout our territories.”
Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said his organization wished to expand cooperation with peacekeeping missions, troop- and police-contributing countries and the Secretariat. The ICRC was prepared to increase its training programmes on international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians for peacekeepers before and during deployment, and to strengthen protection dialogue with all arms bearers. Furthermore, it was ready to engage on the front lines and with arms bearers in seeking arrangements for protecting civilians and ensuring respect for international humanitarian law.
The representative of the United States noted that all too often the failure of peacekeepers to protect civilians was not reported to the Security Council, as required. “This must change, and we collectively have to be the ones to make that change,” she emphasized, adding that without reporting, impunity persisted and bad practices became all too common, often at the peril of civilian well-being. She went on to stress that troop and police contributors with qualms about the mandate or doubts about their capacities should no longer deploy to missions simply because nobody else would, underlining that “blue helmets” unwilling or unable to do what was expected of them should not be left on the ground.
On the other hand, the Russian Federation’s representative called for a shift away from selective and unilateral approaches. While some countries considered the principle of non-use of force an obstacle, the Russian Federation saw it as a necessary component of peacekeeping, he said, adding that it was dangerous to link civilian protection with the possibility of launching offensive forces.
Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence noted that peacekeepers from his country were currently deployed in 15 of the 16 United Nations missions. They had all undergone a thorough vetting and selection process to ensure impeccable professionalism. The Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force of Nepal had integrated United Nations policies on civilian protection, sexual exploitation and abuse, and protection of human rights into pre-deployment training. It had also begun placing investigation officers in missions around the world to look into disciplinary issues, gender-based violence and sexual abuse.
Kazakhstan’s representative said civilian protection was not only about physical security, but was also linked to the dignity of women and children, and the behaviour of blue helmets must, therefore, be beyond reproach. Any accusation of inappropriate conduct must be investigated thoroughly, he emphasized.
Uruguay’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs said the ability of peacekeepers to carry out the protection mandate required the trust of the local people. There was need for early-warning networks, such as the one established by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) by distributing cell phones to the population.
South Africa’s representative cited the deployment of MONUSCO’s Force Intervention Brigade as a credible example of a successful use of force against those who obstructed peace and threatened civilians. United Nations actions must go beyond traditional peacekeeping, beginning with steps to prevent conflict rather than responding after the fact. In that regard, the Council’s failure to address long-standing challenges in Palestine and Western Sahara continued to undermine its credibility, he noted.
The Permanent Observer for the African Union said it was possible to interfere in the internal affairs of another Member State in the event of an imminent threat to peace, security and stability. Citing the concept of “non-indifference” he said: “We do not need lengthy speeches to underline the importance of civilian protection”, emphasizing that it was the responsibility of all.
Rwanda’s representative quoted one of the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, stating that peacekeeping troops must be “prepared to use force to protect civilians as necessary and consistent with the mandate”.
Other speakers highlighted the importance of engaging with local stakeholders, including civil society, as a means to build trust and gain a deeper understanding of challenges on the ground. Some delegations underlined the important role of regional and subregional organizations — including the African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), among others — in protecting civilians.
The representative of the European Union delegation, meanwhile, called for peacekeeping mandates that were clear, coherent, concise, achievable and reinforced with a strong human rights component. Training was the cornerstone of improved implementation of civilian-protection mandates, he said, noting that the European Union had provided training on protecting civilians, preventing atrocity crimes, gender issues, protecting children, human rights and international humanitarian law as an integral part of the training curricula for its missions in Somalia, Mali and Niger.
In that regard, Jean-Marc Ayrault, France’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development and Council President for June, said his country was committed to training 20,000 African soldiers annually and would organize a ministerial conference in Paris later in 2016 on the training of peacekeepers to serve in French-speaking countries. He emphasized that the veto should not be wielded in cases of crimes against humanity, a position supported by the representatives of Canada and Poland.
Also speaking today were officials representing Senegal, Ukraine, Spain, Japan, China, New Zealand, Angola, Venezuela, Egypt, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Sweden (on behalf of the Nordic countries), Chad, Niger, Cyprus, Burkina Faso, Benin, Netherlands, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Argentina, Republic of Korea, Germany, Thailand, Montenegro, India, Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia, Switzerland (for the Group of Friends), Pakistan, Luxembourg, Australia, Belgium, Italy, Georgia, Romania, Croatia, Austria, Estonia, Iran (for the Non-Aligned Movement), Djibouti, Liechtenstein, Morocco, Paraguay, Indonesia, Ireland, Maldives, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Portugal, Côte d’Ivoire, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Botswana and Turkey, as well as the Permanent Observer for the Holy See.
The meeting began at 10:10 a.m. and ended at 6:55 p.m.
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