ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the potential contribution that UN peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs) can make both in advancing protection of civilians (POC) in armed conflicts and reinforcing the civilian protection norms enshrined in international humanitarian law. It discusses the evolution of the POC in armed conflict norm within the UN, with particular attention to its inclusion in the mandate of UNPKOs. The chapter presents various assessments of the effectiveness of the mandates as an instrument for the protection of civilians in principle and practice. Civilian protection found articulation in international humanitarian law in the mid-twentieth century, specifically the Fourth Geneva Conventions adopted in 1949, and was reinforced with adoption of Additional Protocols in 1977. In 1999, the UNPKO for Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was given a mandate 'within its capabilities and areas of deployment, to afford protection to civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, taking into account the responsibilities of the Government of Sierra Leone'.
