Defending Civilians: Strengthening Political Commitment to Protection Norms

Monday, May 19, 2025, 8:15am EDT
Trygve Lie Center for Peace, Security & Development
International Peace Institute
777 United Nations Plaza, 12th floor
(Corner of 1st Avenue and 44th Street)

Context / Background

In 2024, which marked 25 years since the UN Security Council first recognized the protection of civilians (POC) as a matter of international peace and security, as well as the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, member states reaffirmed their commitment to international law, including international humanitarian law (IHL), in the Pact for the Future. Despite this commitment, civilians continue to suffer the worst consequences of armed conflict. Deliberate attacks, forced displacement, starvation, and restrictions on humanitarian aid persist, underscoring a widespread disregard for legal frameworks.

The erosion of IHL through selective application, permissive interpretation, and blatant violations has exacerbated civilian suffering and reinforced a culture of impunity. This crisis demands urgent action to reinforce respect for international law and ensure accountability for those who violate it. States have a pivotal role in this effort, requiring strong political will and leadership, robust legal frameworks, and effective operational mechanisms to protect civilians. Within the international community, the UN Security Council is uniquely placed to protect and advance the framework protecting civilians in times of armed conflict.

In this context, diplomatic initiatives, such as the Global Initiative to galvanize political commitment to IHL launched by the ICRC together with Brazil, China, France, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, the annual POC Week coordinated by Switzerland, OCHA, CIVIC, and IRC, as well as efforts from UN Security Council members to reaffirm and develop the normative framework—and to ensure its effective implementation—to protect civilians are key.

Against this backdrop, the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations, in partnership with the ICRC and International Peace Institute (IPI), the Permanent Missions of Greece, of the State of Kuwait, of Uruguay, and of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the United Nations are convening a high ambassador-level side event to discuss opportunities to strengthen political commitments to protection norms within the UN Security Council and the broader international community.

Agenda 8:15–9:45

Breakfast starting from 8:15

Welcome & moderation: Adam Lupel, Vice President, IPI

Opening remarks:

• H.E. Evangelos C. Sekeris, Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations

• H.E. Pascale Baeriswyl, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations

Panel speakers

• Lisa Doughten, Director, Financing and Partnerships Division, OCHA

• Elyse Mosquini, Permanent Observer of the ICRC

• Hichem Khadhraoui, Executive Director, CIVIC (VTC)

Open discussion with the participants

Objectives

The discussion event aims to:

• Showcase practical tools and strategies that enhance compliance with IHL and other norms protecting civilians, including Security Council resolutions

• Bolster political commitment among member states, particularly within the Security Council, to uphold IHL and to strengthen civilian protection in armed conflicts

• Generate concrete commitments and policy recommendations to drive stronger international action on POC

Guiding Questions

NB: Participants are encouraged to take the floor freely and engage in an open, interactive discussion rather than reading prepared statements. This approach will help foster a more dynamic and substantive exchange of ideas.

• How can the international community demonstrate stronger political leadership to uphold and reinforce the normative framework for civilian protection in armed conflict?

• What practical steps and mechanisms can be implemented by the Security Council to enhance compliance with IHL and other protection norms?

• How can diplomatic initiatives such as the Global Initiative on IHL and POC Week be leveraged to generate stronger commitments and concrete actions for civilian protection?