Protecting Threatened Civilians Protecting Threatened Civilians In In

Situations of Violent Conflict:Situations of Violent Conflict:

The Role of The Role of Unarmed Glocal CiviliansUnarmed Glocal Civilians

A Briefing and Discussion at the A Briefing and Discussion at the United NationsUnited Nations

by Mel Duncan and Rolf Carriereby Mel Duncan and Rolf CarriereNonviolent Peaceforce Nonviolent Peaceforce

New York, 10 June 2011New York, 10 June 2011 

Focus of this Presentation Keeping people physically safe By organized, professional

multinational, gender-balanced, impartial teams of civilians

Dedicated to protection only Working by invitation of, and with,

local civil society organizations

Focus of this Presentation Practicing ‘proactive presence’ 24/7 Without use of armed force Complying to strict security protocols Funded by great variety of donors

Outline Context of Violent Conflict Response to Violent Conflict Human Security & Protection of

Civilians Role of Global Civil Society Unarmed Civilian Protection Nonviolent Peaceforce Relating to IASC

Context of Violent Conflict

World Bank: 1.5 billions people currently live in countries with repeated violence (WDR 2011)

Not one of these countries has achieved a single MDG (WDR 2011)

It is no longer acceptable to allow belligerents to fight till exhaustion-- if only for the sake of civilians… (and the economy…)

Context of Violent Conflict

US$2.4 trillion (or 4.4% of global economy) “is dependent on violence” (referring to “industries that create or manage violence”) (Global Peace Index 2010)

On average, the total national and regional cost of a single war is more than US$64 billion… then add to this global impacts of international terrorism, drugs production and spread of HIV

(Paul Collier, World Bank/Oxford)

Context of Violent ConflictFuture violence potential remains high, due to:

• Growing ethnic tension• With more self-determination, 193->2000 nations?

• Competitive race for scarce resources• Depleting energy sources, water, precious minerals)

• Trade in/ubiquitous presence of small arms• Growing population pressure

• People voting with their feet• Climate change• Economic collapse• Viral, daily in your face• Widening income disparities

Context of Violent Conflict Changed nature of war & violence

• More intra-state, civil wars• Last longer (10x than international)• Less noticed• Civilian/military casualties in wars went

from 10/90 to at least 75/25 over the past century

Therefore, new challenge of physical safety demands new response in protection of civilians

Increasingly, threatening and targeting of vulnerable

Civilian Populationschildren women

ethnic/religious minorities ‘first peoples’ dispossessed suppressed

and

Individuals journalists

humanitarian aid workers (100+ death/yr) human rights workers

Whatever the current level of action for protection of civilians, and whoever provides it,

the world needs

far more Protection of Civilians

Since End of Cold War Some historic shifts in perceptions:

• Human Security (basic rights + freedom from fear + freedom from want)

• R2P (sovereignty as responsibility)• Protection of Civilians (as ‘humanitarian

imperative’)• Resurgence of Nonviolence (Middle East,

Yellow, Orange, Velvet etc.)• Peoples Right to Peace• Role of Third UN (civilian capacities)

Responding to Violent Conflict

In order to protect threatened civilians: for world community as a whole

(and UN in particular)

what is the proper balance between (and among)

• Humanitarian• Developmental• Political/Diplomatic • Military

engagements/interventions in complex security situations?

Responding to Violent Conflict

What are most appropriate types of engagements/interventions to protect threatened civilians?

Which actors are best placed to play what roles?

Where to focus and when?

Growing consensus: No one can do it alone! A necessary complementarity

Protection of Civilians: Many Forms

Humanitarian assistance aimed at saving lives, providing basic services, and keeping people safe;

Diplomatic initiatives to prevent or resolve conflicts; Military action when peaceful means fail; Challenging violations of human rights and ending

poverty, disease, and environmental degradation; Control of the arms trade and reducing the danger

posed by guns and explosive weapons.

Protection of Civilians in 2010 Facts, figures and the UN Security Council response (Oxfam, May 2011, p.9)

Responding to Violent Conflict These many options pose some

fundamental issues, strategic choices, questions of operational sequencing, funding priorities, other dilemmas…

Most basic + urgent needs first (in rights-based context…)

Much is already being done… By main actors of

IASC Protection Cluster

All have comparative strengths & limitations

Not all focus exclusively on physical PoC

•DPKO•ICRC•UNHCR•UNICEF•WFP•UNHCHR•UNDP & UNV•PROCAP•OCHA•INGOs

IOM, MSF, Oxfam

Much is already being done But also by private military &

security companies (PMSCs) (‘occupying’ humanitarian space, competing for resources)• Sub/contractors (120 companies in 2007)

The Privatisation of Security in Failing States– A Quantitative Assessment, Z. Branovic, DECAF, May 2011

• 190,000 personnel in Iraq alone (USCBO 2008)

• For profit• Future role? in humanitarian interventions,

peacekeeping missions, state-building projects• Accountability?

Civilian Capacities or Mercenaries?

Responding to Violent Conflict

Even so, other global civilian capacities for PoC exist (or are potentially

available), but remain unused (Guehenno report)

Perhaps often only on small scale, but scalable

Unarmed Civilian Protection (UPC) has its own comparative advantages & fills important niche

Military peacekeeping’s cost, effectiveness, timeliness and

efficiency for PoC is being questioned

(UN, NATO, AU)

Many civilians and organizations, all over the world, are convinced they, too, can contribute to peacekeeping + PoC

Theirs is the power of nonviolent presence-- a role that cannot be played by the military or police

Taking Risks For Peace

Only Men and Women in Military Uniform ?

Greater Role for Civil Society

As a result, civil society is organizing itself in many ways

to help prevent, stop or transform violent conflict.

‘Sovereignty-free Actors’ (Rosenau)

Redressing the BalanceFromFrom

National security Hard power State & military

Reactive & late General humanitarian

relief Ad hoc protection (or

as by-product of ‘international presence’)

TowardsTowards Human security Soft power Civilian & unarmed,

nonviolent Preventive & early Effective physical

protection (as top need) Intentional proactive

presence (dedicated, professional on call)

Towards A New Security…(Can You See It That Way?)

National > Human Security Hard > Soft Power Military > Civilian Armed > Unarmed Reactive > Preventive Late > Early General > Proactive Presence

Some special interests may not see it that way…

Focus of this Presentation Keeping people physically safe By organized, professional

multinational, gender-balanced, impartial teams of civilians

Dedicated to protection only Working by invitation of, and with,

local civil society organizations

Focus of this Presentation Practicing ‘proactive presence’ 24/7 Without use of armed force Complying to strict security protocols Funded by great variety of donors

Why, how and when does proactive presence work?

[based on Liam Mahony’s slide series]

Growing the Sheltering Tree

“Conscious presence is required: presence that has the specific aim of preventing or reducing violations…

People in danger confirm that presence is an essential protection tool.”

(IASC 2002)

Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping

Encouragement

Deterrence Influence

Nonviolenc

e

Independence

Primacy of Internal

Conflict ActorsNonpartisansh

ipUDHR & IHL

Confi

denc

e Bu

ildin

g

Conscious Visibility Protectio

n Capacity

Building

Multi-Level Diplomacy

PROACTIVE PRESENCE

MPT

What is Proactive Presence?

Proactive Presence = Trained field staff combining multiple strategies to positively influence the dynamics of violence against civilians on the ground. (Means PROACTIVE)

“What is needed…is not passive presence for its own sake, but well informed and carefully analysed strategies and tactics that use the presence of each [UCP] to influence all the actors around them.”

-Liam Mahoney

MPT

How Does Proactive Presence Work? DETERRENCE

Decision Makers

(Worried about Int’l Image)

Perpetrators of Violence

(Worried about

witnesses)

Targeted Civilians

Chai

n of

Com

man

d

International PressureX

MPT

How Does Proactive Presence Work? DETERRENCE

Decision Makers

(Worried about Int’l Image)

Perpetrators of Violence

(Worried about

witnesses)

Targeted Civilians

Chai

n of

Com

man

d

International Pressure

“It’s not really me.”

MPT

How Does Proactive Presence Work? DETERRENCE

Decision Makers

(Worried about Int’l Image)

Perpetrators of Violence

(Worried about witnesses)

Targeted Civilians

Chai

n of

Com

man

d

International PressureX

X

Why Does It Work?Why Does It Work? All parties have multiple sensitivities,

vulnerabilities and points of leverage. International presence’ impact is implicitly

linked to these vulnerabilities Leverage is global, national and local Leverage is political. Leverage is personal. Enhances local reconciliation and human

rights work Introducing nonviolent can change

atmostpheres

Why Abusers Pay AttentionWhy Abusers Pay Attention Personal or political reputation Access to political and economic benefits–

goods, money, political support, weapons… International prosecution; avoiding blame;

sustaining options for a political career. ‘Comparative image’ relative to opponents Ideological alliances Orders from superior officers Individual moral concerns

Past & Present Peace Team Efforts

Peace Brigades International

Christian Peacemaker Teams

Witness for Peace International Fellowship

of Reconciliation Sipaz (Mexico) SERPAJ (Latin America) United Civilians for Peace Peaceworkers Balkan Peace Teams

Bantay Ceasefire (Mindanao) Shanti Sena (Gujarat) Gulf Peace Team Cry for Justice (Haiti) EMPSA (Ecumenical Monitoring

Project South Africa) ISM (International Solidarity

Movement) GIPP (Grassroots Initiative to

Protect Palestinians) EAPPI (Ecumenical

Accompaniment Programme in Palestine/Israel)

Women’s International Peace Service (Palestine)

Civil society-to-civil society, not an extension of any national foreign policy

65 MemberOrganizationsWorldwide

1. Niche for Nonviolent Peaceforce

2. Strategies, Tactics and Activities in Intervention

3. Best Practices in Field Relationships

4. Nonviolent Peaceforce Personnel

5. Training and Preparation

Feasibility Study

UCP is…

Not disorganised individuals showing up without a plan, thinking only their presence is enough.

Organised teams strategically implementing proven tactics for protecting civilians and reducing violence.

Not well-intentioned volunteers working against “oppressors” and naively sticking flowers in gun barrel

Well-trained professionals working proactively with key stakeholders on all levels to increase security of all people

Not white people from the global North holding threatened peoples’ hands so they do not get shot.

Security-conscious international/multi-cultural teams working and living within communities affected by violence and supporting them to increase their own security.Not an add-on to an already

over-burdened work day or something done indirectly while passing out food.

A specific, focused activity, based on lessons learned and compelling practices

Key UCP Activities

Conscious VisibilityM

ulti-Level Diplomacy

Prot

ecti

on

Confi

denc

e Bu

ildin

gCa

paci

ty

Build

ing

Facilitation of Safe Access to Government Mechanisms

Forums/Meetings for State Duty-Bearers and

Vulnerable Communities

Safe Travel Routes for Civilians

Accompaniment/ Protective Presence for

Vulnerable Individuals / HRDs / Community

WorkersEstablishment and

monitoring of protocols with government and military

actors

Coordination of security services for vulnerable civilians

Community Conflict Early Warning Early

Response Systems

Collaborative security assessments,

consultations, and trainings

Support for Community

Security Teams

Community Conflict Resolution

Facilitation

Intentional presence during

critical times

Ceasefire Monitoring

Verification Mission on Landmine Use in Mindanao

Unarmed, Civilian Peacekeepers enable humanitarian & development entities to be

successful in their work

‘As far as I am aware, this is the first time in the history of international relationsthat such a fact-finding mission has been carried out with the agreement of, and facilitation by, both parties to an armed conflict, in casu, a State and a non-State actor.’

Unarmed civilian Peacekeepers – emphasizing neutrality and impartiality – provide logistical support for Geneva Call as it conducts an historic Verification Mission on landmine use in Mindanao

Eric David, Professor of Law at Brussels University, mission participant

Professionally trained

Teams come from all over the world

Sri LankaSri Lanka

MindanaoMindanao

GRP and MILF invite NP to join Civilian Protection Component of the International Monitoring Team

Southern SudanSouthern Sudan

Kyrgyzstan & South CaucasusKyrgyzstan & South Caucasus

Not about NP, but the concept & practice

How does NP relate to IASC Members/Principles & Standards?

@ HQs level Consultations with 20+ UN entities in GVA & NY Framework Agreement with UNHCR Partnership Agreements with UNICEF Also occasional dealings with Global Policy

Forum, ICVA, ALNAP, CONGO etc. Offered to participate through ICVA in

civilian protection sub-cluster

NP Relating to IASCNP Relating to IASC @ Country/Sub-National/Field level Fully integrated in cluster approach

(Protection cluster + GBV, CP, RNA sub-clusters) Applying SPHERE standards Sharing information, access and

introductions in areas where NP has longer or more community-based presence, or has better local acceptance than UN

Ad hoc info (e.g., on new displacements, individual cases NP comes across, and security flashes)

NP Relating to IASCNP Relating to IASC @ Country/Field level Formal & informal coordination,

capacity building, mutual training NP not bound by UN security protocol

and phases Hence able to stay and live with

threatened communities, continuing to protect

Based on NP’s own security protocol

NP Relating to IASCNP Relating to IASC @ Country/Field level At times, requested to take local lead Provides accompaniment to IASC

partners Takes part in inter-agency security

coordination Creates link and referral between

local needs and UN system higher up

Responding to Violent Conflict Where to focus?

Evidence of high risk (40+%) of relapse into war within the decade after ceasefire/peace agreement

Typically, only about 12 countries are in the post-conflict category at any one time

90% of civil wars in the 2000s occurred in countries that had already experienced civil war in previous 30 years (WDR2011)

A US$5 billion investment in international peacekeeping and well-targeted aid would deliver a return of US$397 billion in post-conflict countries

Therefore, high predictability + very high returns!

Source: Paul Collier, World Bank/Oxford