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Theme - Protecting Civilians
Most of the last decade's conflicts have been intra-state conflicts, often in disintegrating societies and in marginal states that no longer possess a monopoly on violence and can no longer convincingly claim that they can provide their populations with protection and other basic social services.
Over the past decade, many people have turned their minds to the question of the boundary conditions within which external military intervention is justified when the objective is to protect civilians in this type of conflict situation. There is an increasing demand to know why the results of many of these missions are disappointing and to know why it is so difficult to perpetuate their beneficial effects.
IKV Pax Christi investigates these missions and explores how other civil society or other initiatives can be supported in their efforts to guarantee protection to civilians in marginal states and in open, violent conflicts.
In 2010 IKV Pax Christi published a report on the role of the armed forces in protecting civilians with aid organization Cordaid. The report focuses on the capabilities needed for the armed forces to be able to protect civilians in conflict zones. Without looking at the military as a solution for every conflict, the report explains what the military can do and what is needed to enable the military to protect civilians. You can download the report here.
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