Non-Military Approaches to the Protection of Civilians P RESENTATION - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Non-Military Approaches to the Protection of Civilians P RESENTATION BY L IAM M AHONY , F IELDVIEW S OLUTIONS O TTAWA , O CTOBER 18-19, 2012 Humanitarian Protection All activities aimed at obtaining full respect for the rights of the

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PRESENTATION BY LIAM MAHONY, FIELDVIEW SOLUTIONS OTTAWA, OCTOBER 18-19, 2012

Non-Military Approaches to the Protection of Civilians

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Humanitarian “Protection”

“All activities aimed at obtaining full respect for the

rights of the individual in accordance with the letter and spirit of the relevant bodies of law, namely human rights law, international humanitarian law and refugee law.”

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

ICRC, UN-OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, OHCHR, other UN, INGOs

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UN Peacekeeping: Operational Concept on the Protection of Civilians (2010)

Tier 1: Protection through the political process –

– Conflict management, reconciliation

Tier 2: Protection from physical violence

– Establishing deterrent presence, field deployments; patrols Responding to violent attacks with all necessary means including, if necessary, the use of force, to protect civilians

Tier 3: Establishing a protective environment –

– Promotion of legal protection; Human rights monitoring; Facilitation of humanitarian assistance; Advocacy; Support to national institutions; Rule of Law, Security Sector reform

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“Unarmed civilian peacekeeping” – Nonviolent Peaceforce

Live and work in communities within conflict zones

alongside local people. Build confidence and trust, foster dialogue.

Help civilians access available structures and

mechanisms for addressing problems and grievances.

Activities include: entering active conflict zones to

remove civilians in the crossfire; providing opposing factions a safe space to negotiate; serving as a communication link between warring factions, promoting community-based structures for early warning and protection, etc.

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Peace Brigades International: Protective accompaniment

Physical and political accompaniment, by international

personnel, of activists, organisations and communities threatened with attacks.

Coordinated local presence with local, national and global

advocacy.

Enables nonviolent social change by supporting local actors

and voicing their concerns worldwide. Commitment to the primacy and protagonism of those local actors, avoiding any substitution or interference.

Deterrence: presence and advocacy raises the stakes/costs of

attacks.

Moral support and international solidarity for civil society

activism

Strengthens international movement for peace and human

rights

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Short-term and long-term protection

Prevent imminent abuse: influence, persuasion, pressure, physical protection Prevent repetition

Environment-building(long-term prevention)

Reduce suffering Repair damage Recuperate dignity Restore normalcy

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RISK FACTORS

THREAT, VULNERABILITY, CAPACITY

Reduce Threats Reduce Vulnerabilities Increase Capacities

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Decisionmakers

worried about their international image

Chain of command Targeted Civilians

Perpetrators work at end of a chain of command

Perpetrator

does not want witnesses

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Decisionmakers Perpetrator Chain of command Targeted Civilians International Pressure

X

International pressure targets decisionmakers

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Decision-makers Perpetrator Chain of command Targeted Civilians It’s not really me!

Deflectors Buffers Smokescreens

Decision-makers evade pressure

International Pressure

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Decisionmakers Perpetrator Chain of command Targeted Civilians International Pressure Proactive presence

X X

Presence targets decisionmakers AND perpetrators

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Decisionmakers Perpetrator Chain of command Targeted civilians International Pressure Proactive presence

…and all abusive links

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Key Asset: Getting out

Widespread and regular contact at all levels provides:

– Access to trustworthy information, – Good networks and relationships: Trust – Ability to be dissuasive, responsive and predictable – Capacity for rapid reactions to challenges

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Proactive Presence Sustained multi-level diplomacy

Five civilian strategies for protection

Encouragement Convening and bridging

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Comparative advantages in effective protection:

Regional/ Provincial/ Rural Projection
Deep contact networks
Trust – Legitimacy – Credibility
Clout – power to influence
Time/resources applied to protection
Advocacy skills
Institutional risk-taking

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The unique potential

f United Nations

Human Rights Field Presences

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Credibility and legitimacy

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Discussions

Military and non-military protection
“International” and “National” protection
Trust on the ground – Clout at high levels
“Mainstreaming” protection and human rights

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Political support:
Supporting entry/start-up,
Supporting mandate renewals
Supporting/strengthening human rights priorities

in Peace Ops UNSC-Res and budgets

Engaging and opposing maneuvers to constrain

OHCHR (staffing constraints, etc.)

Encouraging HC visibility

Modes of Bi-lateral support

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General support for OHCHR central budget
Country specific office support – encourage

growth and sub-offices

Project support – identify funding streams
Encouraging colleagues to support

Resource support

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Encourage HC/OHCHR to be more ambitious

and plan for growth

Encourage a field focus on protection
Encourage efficiency
Support strategic processes

Constructive critical support

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PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AT

WWW.FIELDVIEWSOLUTIONS.ORG,

Proactive Presence: Field Strategies for Civilian Protection (by Liam Mahony) Influence on the Ground: Understanding and Strengthening United Nations Human Rights Presences (By Liam Mahony and Roger Nash)