Nonviolent Peaceforce, Netherlands, PAX, CIVIC, Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights, HPG, Airwars, GPC, Geneva Call
Even as institutional capacity contracts, civilians and communities have never stopped protecting themselves — through grassroots early warning, harm documentation, and direct engagement with armed actors. The replay of this Protection of Civilians event turns the lens toward those efforts and the people behind them. The session explores locally-led unarmed civilian protection approaches, how communities monitor and advocate for their own safety, and how this evidence can strengthen civilian harm mitigation by armed actors. Through direct testimonies, interactive case studies, and panel discussion, it asks what Member States and UN agencies can do to recognise, resource, and partner with these approaches — and how to avoid inadvertently undermining them.