The protection of civilians in armed conflict: Four concepts

For thousands of years, myriad cultures across the globe have developed principles aiming to protect unarmed populations from violence at the hands of the armed. Since the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 such efforts have fallen under the rubric of the Protection of Civilians (POC). This chapter details the nature of POC in the contemporary context. It argues that while all POC actors have a broadly shared understanding of the core concerns of POC – the basic rights of non-combatants and the types of violence that threaten them – the different perspectives, resources and powers possessed by separate types of POC actors make those actors develop distinct POC roles and responsibilities.

Related Subject(s): Human Rights and Refugees