Building a Culture of Protection: 20 Years of Security Council Engagement on the Protection of Civilians

2019 marks the 20th year since the protection of civilians in armed conflict (PoC) was added to the agenda of the Security Council. Twenty years later, civilians continue to make up the vast majority of casualties in conflict, and the PoC agenda remains as relevant as ever. But despite its challenges, the substantial evolution of the agenda deserves to be acknowledged: UN peace operations have saved civilian lives; perpetrators of international law violations have been sanctioned; monitoring and reporting processes have led to civilian harm mitigation; child soldiers have been demobilized, women and girls empowered and protected, and war criminals tried and convicted.

On the 20th anniversary of the PoC agenda, "Building a Culture of Protection: 20 Years of Security Council Engagement on the Protection of Civilians" takes stock of the agenda’s main evolutions and trends over the past 20 years. It focuses on achievements and best practices that may serve as a foundation for future progress in achieving tangible protection for civilians in the years and decades ahead.

The publication seeks to complement this year's Report of the Secretary-General on Protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/2019/373), which will be released in the coming days. The report reviews the achievements and challenges of the United Nation's work on protecting civilians, focuses on the central challenge of enhancing respect for the law in the conduct of hostilities and accountability for its violation, and recommends actions for increasing civilian protection in the years ahead.