1. The Accountability System for the Protection of Civilians in UN Peacekeeping
- Author:
- Namie Di Razza
- Publication Date:
- 12-2020
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- International Peace Institute (IPI)
- Abstract:
- Over the last two decades, UN peacekeeping operations have striven to protect civilians from physical violence. The protection of civilians (POC) is now based on a clear normative and policy framework, and its practical implementation relies on a number of innovative tools, tailored and multidimensional approaches, and the more proactive posture of peacekeepers. On a number of occasions, however, UN missions have failed to prevent or respond to threats despite being aware of the risk, receiving adequate warning of an attack, or being in the proximity when abuses were committed. Numerous reports and investigations into these incidents have highlighted shortcomings in performance and called for more accountability. Despite institutional ambitions, however, there is still limited accountability for the actors involved in protecting civilians. To help address this challenge, IPI undertook a project to map how existing accountability mechanisms in the UN could be applied to peacekeeping missions with POC mandates. Through a combination of desk research and key informant interviews, IPI developed a set of tools to help guide the UN and its member states in building a robust, multi-actor, multilayer “system of accountability for POC.”
- Topic:
- United Nations, Peacekeeping, Accountability, and Civilians
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Darfur, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and Global Focus