Today marks 20 years since the first time UN peacekeepers were directed to protect civilians from physical violence in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Since then, the Protection of Civilians (PoC) mandate has become a centre of gravity for peacekeeping operations but also for the UN system as a whole.

Former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has described protecting civilians as “a defining purpose of the UN in the twenty-first century.” It may also be one of its biggest challenges.

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