Armed conflicts tear apart communities, infrastructure, and livelihoods, taking hundreds of thousands of lives away and displacing tens of millions of people around the world each year. The great majority of casualties in present-day conflict are civilians. Civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure are not simply byproducts of war, but the consequence of deliberate targeting. Belligerents also often target civilians in particular roles, such as journalists, medical practitioners, and humanitarian staff.
Widespread use of heavy artillery, aerial bombardments and small arms and light weapons has a significant impact on the scope and level of the violence that affects civilian populations in armed conflict. Anti-personnel landmines, cluster munitions, improvised explosive devices and explosive remnants of war have also been widely used in conflicts, killing and maiming thousands of civilians every year, including many children.
Upcoming related events
General Assembly
Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and protection of United Nations personnel
Security Council
- S/RES/1265 (1999)
- S/RES/1296 (2000)
- S/RES/1502 (2003 UN Personnnel, Associated Personnel and Humanitarian Personnel
- S/RES/1674 (2006)
- S/RES/1738 (2006) journalists
- S/RES/1894 (2009)
- S/RES/2175 (2014) humanitarian personnel
- S/RES/2222 (2015) journalists
- S/RES/2286 (2016) medical personnel
Reports of the Secretary-General to SC
Security Council presidential statements
Security Council letters, concept papers
- S/2016/722 Protection of health care in armed conflict.
- S/2016/503 Protection of civilians in the context of peacekeeping operations.
- S/2016/22 Protection of civilians.
- S/2015/844 Challenges of policing within a protection of civilians mandate.
- S/2015/307 Protection of journalists.
- S/2015/176 Protection of minorities in the Middle East.
- S/2015/32 Protection of civilians, with a particular focus on women and girls
- S/2014/571 Protection of civilians.
- S/2013/447 Protection of civilians.
- S/2001/614Protection of civilians.
Human Rights Council
- A/HRC/RES/9/9 human rights
- A/HRC/11/31Outcome of the expert consultation
- A/HRC/RES/12/5
- A/HRC/RES/21/12 on the safety of journalists
Related issues
Conflict-related sexual violence
Explosive weapons in populated areas
Small arms
Landmines
Cluster munitions
IEDs