Protection of Civilians Week Concept Note: Reducing Violence and its Impacts on Civilians: How to Re-Centre Protection Amidst a World in Flux

Rationale

The failing international normative system, crisis of multilateralism, and shifting power dynamics have weakened the tools, capacities, and actors available to strengthen the protection of civilians, all while attacks on civilians are increasing and IHL is under strain. There has never been a more important time to uphold and refocus efforts to strengthen the protection of civilians. This includes further embedding more systematic approaches to intentionally reduce and deescalate violence and mitigate its worst consequences. More emphasis is needed on multidisciplinary approaches which, while challenging, are crucial to reducing civilian harm in line with "full protection of civilians". This roundtable session will explore multidisciplinary approaches to reduce violence and strengthen the protection of civilians through, e.g., diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation, mediation, community self-protection, and protective presence/accompaniment.

Objectives:

• Outline approaches and tools for a range of actors to strengthen protection, outlining results that can reduce risks of violence.

• Address the need for more holistic approaches to reduce risks, beyond IHL compliance, in line with the ‘full protection of civilians’.

• Explore how to advocate for everything from field-based interventions to high-level engagement to be more systemically linked and incorporated in standard practice.

Outcomes:

• Raise awareness of successes of interventions.

• Explore how humanitarian, human rights and peace actors can take complementary action.

• Examine how diplomatic actors and donors can support and incentivise such interventions and encourage complementarity, multidisciplinary approaches.

• Identify challenges, risks, and opportunities of these interventions.

Proposed format (panel discussion, Q&A, facilitated discussion, etc.).
• Interactive, hybrid panel discussion with Q&A, with two-way French / English translation. Please RSVP here at https://reducing-violence-impacts.rsvpify.com

Co-Sponsors:

Member States co-sponsors:

• Mission of Belgium

• Mission of the African Union

• Mission of Sweden

• Mission of Norway

INGO/NGO co-sponsors:

• Nonviolent Peaceforce

• NORCAP part of the Norwegian Refugee Council

• Humanitarian Policy Group/Overseas Development Institute

• NOHA Network on Humanitarian Action

• CIVIC

• Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiations

UN co-sponsors:

• UN OCHA

• UNHCR

• Global Protection Cluster

Time and date

• Friday 23 May 15.00 – 16.30

Location:

• Permanent Mission of Belgium to the UN at 885 2nd Ave 41st floor, New York, NY 10017, United States New York, USA

Contact person: Hannah Jordan, Protection Thematic Manager NORCAP Hannah.jordan@nrc.no