An Cosantóir February 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie
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By CPl lEE CoylE PhotoS AS CREDItED
"the plight of civilians is no longer something which can be neglected, or
made secondary because it complicates political negotiations or interests. It is
fundamental to the central mandate of the organisation. the responsibility for
the protection of civilians cannot be transferred to others. the United nations
is the only international organisation with the reach and authority to end
these practices." - Report of the Secretary General to the Security Council on the
protection of civilians in armed conflict, 1999
T
he United nations training School Ireland's (UntSI) third Interna-
tional Protection of Civilians Course was held recently in the DFtC.
In addition to DF personnel, there were also students from the UK,
Spain, Mexico and Israel. I also attended the course in order to provide An
Cosantóir with this report.
This course stemmed from the changing nature of conflict internation-
ally in recent years, with civilians becoming deliberate targets during many
wars of the 1990s. It was very clear that civilians had become pawns to be
used during a conflict, and this propelled the protection of civilians to the
forefront of international concern. During that period the media and public
opinion held the UN Security Council partly responsible for the genocides
in Rwanda in 1994 and Bosnia in 1995, for not taking more preventative and
responsive action.
UNIFIL peacekeepers salute a Rumaysh
inhabitant with the help of a local translator
during their first all-women patrol in town.
South Lebanon, December 13, 2017. Photo:
UNIFIL/Pasqual Gorriz
A young student looks into the demining robot's camera during a
mine awareness activity held at Blat Public School, south Lebanon.
Photo: UNIFIL/Pasqual Gorriz
Nigerian peacekeeper Capt Joseph Eranga (centre),
serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia
(UNMIL) holds a child during an evening patrol in
Monrovia. Photo: UN Photo/Albert González Farran
