PROTECTION OF

CIVILIANS NEWSLETTER
DIVISION OF POLICY, EVALUATION AND TRAINING
DEPARTMENT OF PEACE OPERATIONS
UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK

2023 | FIRST ISSUE BRIEF

POC ADVISERS CONFERENCE 2023 POC WEEK

UN peacekeeping missions face increasingly complex and rapidly
changing operational environments. Implementing the protection 22-25 MAY 2023
of civilians (POC) mandate under such circumstances is a difficult
task, one that can severely challenge mission capacities and

resources. In this context, it is important to ask: How does each

mission implement POC? What are common challenges missions
face? What can missions learn from each other? How can we
strengthen the role of POC Advisers and Focal Points? The annual
POC Advisers Conference held in New York in April sought to
consider these policy and operational questions.
With support from Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany, the
Policy, Evaluation and Training Division (DPET) brought together
Senior POC Advisers and Focal Points from the six missions with
POC mandates (MINUSCA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, UNMISS,
UNIFIL and UNISFA) for the five-day conference. Colleagues from
the Department of Peace Operations and other relevant UN offices
as well as Member State representatives and other stakeholders
also joined the discussions and events.
The sixth edition of the Protection of Civilians
Week in New York will feature the annual
Security Council Open Debate on POC and the
presentation of the Secretary-General’s report
on POC. The week will provide an
opportunity for Member States, UN entities,
and civil society to reflect on key POC trends,
exchange good practices, build consensus on
policy issues and crystallize normative
developments. Click the calendar below to see
the several side events relevant to POC in UN
Peacekeeping, including the following co-
hosted by DPO:

Peacekeeping at 75: Protection of Civilians

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Advancing Civilian Harm Mitigation and

Response in UN Peacekeeping

POC Advisers and Focal Points and DPET POC Team with USG Lacroix, UNHQ
Addressing the Impact of Mis/Disinformation
on Civilians: An Exchange Between
The conference provided a forum for participants to share their
Peacekeeping and Humanitarians
experiences and reflect on challenges, lessons learned and good
practices. Sessions addressed thematic topics, such as early warning
and response, strategic communications and POC strategies and threat
assessments. A dedicated “Data Day” focused on potential
opportunities for enhancing data-driven and technology-enabled
approaches to POC. Missions shared their existing dashboards and
data-driven POC products and learned of relevant external tools and
platforms available. Discussions centered on determining data
requirements for POC and how best to leverage the ongoing initiatives
of peacekeeping’s Digital Transformation Strategy to strengthen
protection of civilians. Finally, the conference provided an occasion to
share the recently updated 2023 DPO POC Policy and discuss plans for
dissemination, socialization and implementation.
 POC ADVISERS BRIEFING TO MEMBER STATES
During the POC Advisers Conference, the Permanent
Mission of Finland to the United Nations hosted an event
for delegates of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping
(C34), Security Council members, the Group of Friends of
POC and major peacekeeping troop and police contributing
countries. Representatives from 19 Member States attended
and heard from the POC Advisers and Focal Points about
the realities of protecting civilians across varied settings.
The briefing focused on the current and evolving challenges
in POC mandate implementation, ongoing efforts to
confront them, as well as progress made. Issues addressed
included how delayed or stagnated political and peace
processes have affected violence against civilians in mission
settings and how the recent proliferation of new armed
actors in several peacekeeping contexts (including regional
forces, bilateral forces, and private military contractors) has
affected violence against civilians and missions’ POC work.
Further, many peacekeeping missions today face limited
space to operate due to constraints imposed by host states
and, in some contexts, local populations, exacerbated in
some settings by mis and disinformation campaigns against
the UN. POC Advisers and Focal Points reflected on how
these conditions have affected the POC work of their
missions. Finally, the discussion highlighted the role of
Member States, recognizing that early and sustained
dialogue with the Security Council, regional stakeholders,
host states and other Member States on protection
challenges and requirements is essential to effective
peacekeeping.
DPET Director David Haeri and POC Advisers at Member State Briefing,
Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN
"Many of the first sessions were essential for me as I’m new to
the POC Adviser role and so they provided important contextual
awareness and background. The exchange was clearly pertinent
for all of us as we are grappling with the same challenging
issues. It provides us with an ease and clarity for future
exchanges toward the same shared ends. Meeting with Member
States was important to share the different perspectives of
Permanent Missions in New York and those of us on the ground
in the different peacekeeping missions."
- Teohna Williams/MONUSCO
"I think that a great takeaway was getting insight on POC from
an HQ perspective. Particularly, understanding what the
priorities are, what the UN at a higher level is looking at, and
what the member states are concerned with. This was all very
useful as you usually don’t get the HQ perspective in the field."
- Marie Lindblad/UNIFIL
UPDATE OF THE POLICY ON THE
PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN UN
PEACEKEEPING
The DPO POC Policy provides the conceptual
framework, guiding principles and key considerations
for the implementation of POC mandates by UN
peacekeeping operations and related support by the
Department of Peace Operations. The first POC Policy
was developed in 2015 and revised in 2019. The 2023
version of the Policy presents updates and continues
to include a strong emphasis on the use of dialogue
and engagement for protection as well as on the need
for integrated and whole-of-mission approaches to
implement POC mandates. It further adds language
on data-driven and technology-enabled approaches to
POC, expands on unarmed approaches to protection,
strengthens the gender-lens and provides more detail
on the various roles and responsibilities of mission
personnel in the integrated and comprehensive
approach to POC.
On 16 May, an internal webinar was held to launch
the new policy for peacekeeping personnel. Over 350
participants joined from UNHQ and duty stations
around the world to hear from a panel of senior
civilian and uniformed practitioners about how they
operationalize the policy in their work, often in the
context of unrelenting violence against civilians and
significant political and logistical obstacles. Their
reflections inspired and encouraged the peacekeepers
in the audience and stimulated insightful discussion
that will continue among the DPO POC Community of
Practice.
The 2023 POC Policy is available on the Peacekeeping
Resource Hub, and a French translation will soon be
forthcoming. Additional guidance materials,
including the POC Handbook, provide further
practical guidance on the implementation of POC
mandates in various specific contexts.
DPO POC Policy launch webinar