Attachments
UN Protection of Civilians Week 2025
Closed Roundtable, New York
Wednesday 21 May, 8:00-10:00am (a light breakfast will be served)
CONCEPT NOTE
75 years after the adoption of the Geneva Conventions, global commitments to the rules of war are under threat, as staggering levels of civilian harm redefine today’s armed conflicts.
To fulfil their responsibilities to protect civilians during armed conflict, national authorities and security forces navigate complex political and operational environments involving a range of actors including bilateral security partners, UN and AU peace operations, interventions by sub-regional forces, non-state armed actors and private military and security companies. Other challenges include the ubiquitous use of mis- and disinformation and the rapid deployment of new technologies. On a daily basis, security forces employ various mechanisms, tools, and practices to prevent and mitigate civilian harm and, where necessary, to ensure accountability and/or redress. Yet a broad range of additional tools also remain at their disposal.
In order to share some of these good practices at the national level and to explore gaps and challenges, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) organized a closed-door, peer-to-peer exchange at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, bringing together senior military and security officials and government representatives from a range of contexts across the African continent, including those currently affected by armed conflict.
Building on the success of that exchange, and upon request of the participants, CIVIC will organize a follow-up event in New York during Protection of Civilians Week 2025. This second peer-to-peer exchange will deepen the discussion to focus on the specific strategies, policies, and practices available to national military and security officials and government authorities to protect civilians, prevent and mitigate civilian harm, and to ensure accountability and/or redress for harm caused.
Objective: The event will provide a platform for a frank and constructive exchange between senior military and security officials and government representatives from conflict-affected and other contexts to discuss specific tools and policies that they do – or can – use to protect civilians, prevent and mitigate civilian harm, as well as how to ensure their effective implementation. The discussion will explore concrete lessons learned, good practice, innovations, advice, and approaches to reduce civilian harm.
Format: This in-person event will be a closed-door exchange held under Chatham House Rule between approximately 10 senior military and government representatives from across the African continent. Select participants from the UN policy space in New York will attend by invitation only. The event will take the form of a semi-structured discussion, co-facilitated by CIVIC and a senior military representative from Nigeria.