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 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
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
“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.
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
Short-term and long-term protection Prevent imminent abuse: influence, Prevent repetition persuasion, pressure, physical protection Reduce suffering Repair damage Recuperate dignity Restore normalcy Environment-building(long-term prevention)
R ISK FACTORS T HREAT, V ULNERABILITY, C APACITY Reduce Reduce Threats Vulnerabilities Increase Capacities
Perpetrators work at end of a chain of command Decisionmakers • worried about their international image Chain of command Perpetrator Targeted Civilians • does not want witnesses
International pressure targets decisionmakers Decisionmakers International X Pressure Chain of command Perpetrator Targeted Civilians
Decision-makers evade pressure Decision-makers International Pressure Deflectors It’s not really me! Chain of Buffers command Smokescreens Perpetrator Targeted Civilians
Presence targets decisionmakers AND perpetrators Decisionmakers International Pressure X Chain of Proactive presence command X Perpetrator Targeted Civilians
…and all abusive links International Decisionmakers Pressure Chain of Proactive presence command Perpetrator Targeted civilians
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
Five civilian strategies for protection Sustained multi-level diplomacy Encouragement Proactive Presence Convening and bridging
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
The unique potential of United Nations Human Rights Field Presences
Credibility and legitimacy
Discussions • Military and non-military protection • “International” and “National” protection • Trust on the ground – Clout at high levels • “Mainstreaming” protection and human rights
Modes of Bi-lateral support • 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
Resource support • General support for OHCHR central budget • Country specific office support – encourage growth and sub-offices • Project support – identify funding streams • Encouraging colleagues to support
Constructive critical support • Encourage HC/OHCHR to be more ambitious and plan for growth • Encourage a field focus on protection • Encourage efficiency • Support strategic processes
Non-Military Approaches to the Protection of Civilians P UBLICATIONS 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)
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