Protection of Civilians Week 2025

Now in its eighth edition, Protection of Civilians (PoC) Week brings together governments, UN bodies, NGOs, and communities affected by conflict to share tools, strategies, and insights to better protect civilians. This year’s theme, “Tools to Further the Protection of Civilians,” centers on practical mechanisms and collaborative approaches that advance compliance with international law and deliver real safety for people caught in armed conflict.

As an organization grounded in Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP), Nonviolent Peaceforce is proud to participate in PoC Week 2025 to advocate for civilian-led, nonviolent methods that prevent violence, protect communities, and promote lasting peace. We’ll be sharing stories, lessons from the ground, and policy recommendations that show what’s possible when civilians are seen as leaders in their own protection.

Explore our upcoming events, join the conversation, and stand with us in calling for renewed accountability, robust implementation of protection mandates, and a more just and humane approach to conflict.

See here for the 2025 NGO Statement Ahead of the Open Debate on Protection of Civilians

During Protection of Civilians Week 2025, check back here for updates on NP’s events during POC week and recommended reading.

POC Week: NP Events in Partnership

Monday, May 19, 2025

Preserving information integrity in conflict settings: Action-oriented responses from local communities, peacekeeping and humanitarian actors
3:00 - 4:45pm EDT | Mission of Germany
RSVP here until 15 May.
Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech (MDH) pose a direct threat to civilians in armed conflict and humanitarian crises, undermining peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and access to life-saving information. In response, Member States, the UN system, private sector, and civil society must take decisive steps and establish partnerships to safeguard information integrity. This event will explore current research on MDH impacts and highlight innovative efforts to strengthen safeguards, promote accountability, and protect civilians.  
Concept note.

Civilian-centred approaches and PoC in a changing world: Moving from policy to practice
5:00 – 6:30pm EDT | Mission of the Netherlands
RSVP here until 16 May.
Civilians and civil society organizations are taking action to protect one another, promote safety, and encourage restraint by armed actors, contributing to protection, policy development, and accountability. This session will examine self-protection strategies across contexts and explore how to move from policy recognition to meaningful integration, support, and resourcing for unarmed, civilian-centred protection. Speakers will share insights on the value, impact, and challenges of local protection efforts, and discuss how to foster strategic, community-centred protection partnerships. 
Concept note.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Strengthening protection of civilians through advocacy, Humanitarian diplomacy, and local leadership
4:45 – 6:15pm EDT | Mission of Canada
RSVP here.
This event explores how advocacy, humanitarian diplomacy, and local leadership can strengthen civilian protection amid rising global conflict and humanitarian needs. It emphasizes the vital role of community-led action in addressing systemic international humanitarian law violations and shrinking civic space. The discussion highlights integrated strategies combining legal frameworks, moral leadership, and field-based approaches. Panelists will share insights from conflict zones and outline ways to enhance accountability and deterrence. The session aims to build commitments supporting locally led protection initiatives and long-term peace efforts.
Concept note.

Thursday, May 22, 2025

From loss to closure: Strengthening tools to protect missing persons and promote the dignified treatment and return of human remains in armed conflict 
1:15 – 2:40pm EDT | Mission of Kuwait
RSVP here.
This event will examine the issue of missing persons in armed conflict, highlighting legal obligations, national strategies, and best practices to prevent persons from going missing, clarify their fate, ensure the return of human remains, and support affected families, while promoting knowledge exchange among Member States, UN agencies, NGOs, and civil society, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2474 (2019).
Concept note.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Reducing violence and its impacts on civilians: How to re-centre protection amidst a world in flux 
3:00 – 4:30pm EDT | Mission of Belgium
RSVP here.
The erosion of multilateralism, shifting power dynamics, and a strained normative system have weakened PoC tools and capacities, even as attacks on civilians rise. Now more than ever, efforts to uphold and strengthen PoC are urgently needed. This includes embedding systematic approaches to reduce violence and its impacts. Multidisciplinary strategies – though complex – are essential to achieving the “full protection of civilians”. This roundtable will explore such approaches, including diplomacy, dialogue, mediation, community self-protection, and protective presence.
Concept note.

Recommended Reading

Keeping protection paramount amidst a 'humanitarian reset': the need for proactive protection action to reduce civilian harm

Briefing/policy paper
Even before recent drastic funding cuts, the humanitarian system was at breaking point. The proliferation of protracted conflicts and polycrises, an increasingly complex and costly aid architecture, along with a crisis of legitimacy, have led to increasing claims that the system is no longer fit for purpose.

A Long Day at Juba’s IDP Camp:
A Case study of Violence Prevention Through Proactive Engagement with Youth Gangs

Case Study
Youth in Juba’s IDP camp helped prevent violence against civilians amid rising tensions. Members of the camp’s Youth Protection Teams, trained in nonviolence, drew on long-standing relationships to directly intervene and de-escalate the situation. Their actions prevented further violence and highlighted the impact of community-led protection and unarmed civilian strategies.

Snapshot: Online Extortion in South Mosul, Iraq

Programme Brief
Online extortion in South Mosul poses a significant threat to the safety and well-being of women and girls. This harmful practice involves coercing individuals into providing money or sexual favors under the threat of reputational damage, leading to severe emotional and psychological distress and risks of violence. The impact is further compounded by cultural and social norms related to family honor, which can discourage individuals from seeking help or reporting abuse, thereby reinforcing their isolation. This snapshot outlines the current context, challenges in responding to the issue, and provides recommendations for better addressing online extortion of women and girls in South Mosul.

Risk, Protection & Locally-Led Humanitarian Response:
A Practical Guide to Responsible Partnerships

Issue Brief
NP’s Responsible Partnerships Framework offers practical guidance on how partnerships between INGOs and NNGOs, CSOs, and CBOs can be practiced more responsibly. This overview, and the practical toolkit it introduces, has largely grown out of NP’s partnerships in Ukraine, as outlined in the earlier Responsible Partnerships Brief, which describes the risks faced by Ukrainian organizations responding to civilian needs following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022. NP's approach to responsible partnerships is rooted in Unarmed Civilian Protection, which offers a pathway to intentional engagement with local communities as leaders in their own protection and action.