Page 10 - Coespu 2019-1
P. 10

ADDRESSING PROTECTION ISSUES


            cekeeping Missions, meeting these  Policy for Protection of  Civilians  moted an integrated HQ approa-
            challenges  requires careful plan-  for Military Units, which could be  ch and field structures to improve
            ning and  strategy  to  protect  the  also used by the UN Formed Po-    coherence  among peacekeeping,
            greatest number of people as ef-    lice Units. It conveys  conceptual  humanitarian, human rights and
            fectively as possible. It also requires  framework, legal aspects, as well  development efforts. Indeed, joint
            ensuring that the host government,  as operational matters, not the le-  analysis, planning and  action at
            the population and even the inter-  ast for the use of force. In 2017,  all levels are often essential to ma-
                                                                                                ximize  impact in the
                                                                                                field. In many Mission
                                                                                                settings, a special De-
                                                                                                puty   Representative
                                                                                                of  the Secretary-Ge-
                                                                                                neral is designated
                                                                                                to  lead  this activity,
                                                                                                supported by Joint
                                                                                                Units,   POC    Advi-
                                                                                                sors and focal points.
                                                                                                There are still debates
                                                                                                among  some huma-
                                                                                                nitarian actors around
                                                                                                the preservation of
                                                                                                their   humanitarian
                                                                                                space, independence
                                                                                                of human rights ad-
            national community understand  the Department also approved the  vocacy and even  security, espe-
            the importance of peacekeepers as  Guidelines  on the UN police  in  cially in a  non-permissive  envi-
            well as their very real limitations.  protection of civilians designed to  ronment, when peacekeepers may
            The UN Department of Peace  assist UNPOLs in effectively imple-         be perceived as part of a conflict.
            Operations (DPO - former DPKO)  menting protection mandates as a  Nonetheless,  UN operations are
            supported by Department  of  critical element of a comprehen-           always open to the comprehensi-
            Operational  Support (DOS) are  sive  approach to this vital issue.  ve  POC approach. For example,
            playing a central role in plan-     Over  the years, the Organization  in CAR where criminal groups are
            ning, conduct and assessment  and  Member States  actively pro-         targeting  humanitarians, the UN
            of protection activities, obviously
            working in close collaboration with
            many UN partners, national  au-
            thorities and international donors.
            Within DPO, there is the Pro-
            tection  of Civilian’s Team (wi-
            thin the Policy and Best Practice
            Service) which  provides policy
            formation and operational sup-
            port.  In  the  field,  POC  Advisory
            Units currently exist in several pe-
            ace operations, with POC Advisors
            embedded in major components.
            They provide mission  leadership
            on POC priorities and provide in-
            formation on vulnerable groups.
            Accordingly, in 2015,  DPO/DOS
            launched their  Comprehensive




                                                               10
   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15