The SIPRI Update for July and August 2013 is out now—read it online, or subscribe to receive the SIPRI Update in your inbox each month.
In the latest SIPRI Essay Jaïr van der Lijn discusses the concept of protection of civilians (POC). He writes:
In November 2013 the United Nations Secretary-General is expected to release his next report on the protection of civilians (POC) in armed conflict. With the ongoing debates in anticipation of the report, and as the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide approaches, now is the time to reflect on what the concept of POC has achieved so far, and how its implementation needs to be adjusted.
The essay concludes:
... introducing the concept of limited POC stands the best chance of being accepted in the international arena. If the current concept of POC cannot be abandoned, it will at least have to be operationalized, limited and made more realistic. Much more clarity will be needed on what a mission will and will not do. Otherwise, local populations and the international community will continue to be disappointed by the UN in the future.