ABSTRACT
The protection of civilians (PoC) has emerged over the past two decades to become one of the core functions of United Nations peace operations. The PoC emerged as a moral imperative after some high-profile failures by UN forces to do so. In 1994, peacekeepers stood aside as more than 800,000 people were slaughtered during the Rwandan genocide. Over time, the PoC has become the centre of gravity for UN peace operations, the principal issue on which missions are judged, irrespective of their mandate. The 2019 policy issued by the United Nations Department of Peace Operations on PoC articulates a three-tiered operational concept for realising PoC mandates on the ground. Tier I concerns protection through dialogue and engagement; Tier II is about the provision of physical protection; and Tier III is concerned with efforts to support the establishment of a protective environment.
