The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is holding a briefing for UN member states on strengthening the protection of civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Good Practice in Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
16 January 2014, 13.00-15.00
Conference rooms S-2726 and S-2727, 27th floor, Secretariat Building, United Nations, New York
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is pleased to announce the convening of a panel discussion on good practice in strengthening the protection of civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
The need to strengthen the protection of civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has emerged as an issue of growing concern. Since 2009, the United Nations Secretary-General’s reports on the protection of civilians in armed conflict have consistently highlighted this as a major challenge to the protection of civilians. The International Committee of the Red Cross has raised it as a key challenge for the implementation of international humanitarian law in contemporary conflicts. Over the past two years the issue has been acknowledged by around 30 States as a humanitarian concern, mostly in the context of the Security Council open debates on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. A joint OCHA-Chatham House expert meeting in September 2013 provided the first opportunity for focused discussions on the issue amongst states and organizations.
The aim of the panel discussion is to build on the findings and recommendations of the OCHA-Chatham House meeting and begin a discussion of good practice in strengthening the protection of civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, with particular reference to Afghanistan and Somalia.
Panelists:
Good practice in Afghanistan, Brigadier General Richard Gross, US Army, US Army, Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington DC
Good practice in Somalia, Sarah Holewinski, Executive Director, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Washington DC
Civil society perspective, Richard Moyes, International Network on Explosive Weapons, London
Moderator:
Mr. Hansjoerg Strohmeyer, Chief, Policy Development and Studies Branch, OCHA New York