6 November 2025
Background
During UN Peace Operations Review Week, this high-level in-person event will bring together Force Commanders, Troop Contributing Countries, UN officials, legal experts, researchers and civil society to address one of the most pressing operational challenges in peacekeeping: the use of force and balancing Protection of Civilians mandates with force protection imperatives.
With an operational focus on tactical-level challenges, the event will examine:
- Rules of Engagement (ROE) interpretation at the tactical level and its impact on the protection of civilians
- The operational reality when protection mandates collide with force protection concerns
- Mutually reinforcing effects of POC and safety and security, i.e. how protecting civilians protects peacekeepers
- Capability gaps in equipment, training, intelligence, and mobility that prevent effective POC
- Integration challenges between civilian, military, and police components
- Cultural humility as a tool to support dialogue and engagement fostering a safe environment
- Possible changes needed at the level of policy and doctrine to enable proactive rather than reactive protection of civilians
- Unintended consequences including on the perceived impartiality of missions, civilian casualties and related mitigation efforts
- TCC perspectives on operational constraints, risk tolerance, and support requirements
- Practical solutions for improving mission effectiveness and safety and security of UN peacekeepers.
The event
Key issues discussed
Force Commanders and experts examined tactical-level challenges in balancing PoC mandates with force protection. Discussions covered: modernizing the principles of peacekeeping to align with current operational realities; ROE interpretation and its impact on the protection of civilians; operational reality when mandates conflict with force protection concerns; capability gaps in equipment, training, intelligence, and mobility preventing effective PoC; integration challenges across civilian, military, and police components; and how protecting civilians enhances peacekeeper safety. Unintended consequences including civilian casualties and mission impartiality were also addressed.
What is being done/to do about them
Panellists identified practical solutions: enhanced training of ROE for tactical implementation; addressing capability requirements including equipment and mobility; improving integrated planning across mission components; utilizing cultural humility to foster dialogue and safe environments; enhancing community engagement, including through prioritizing and investing in scenario-based training; and shifting from reactive to proactive protection approaches. Focus on mutually reinforcing effects where the protection of civilians enhances peacekeeper safety and mission success.
What implications emerged for the UNSC and UN HQ
The event generated concrete recommendations for policy and doctrine changes, enabling proactive PoC. Implications for UNSC and UN HQ include: need for clearer understanding of ROEs at tactical level through scenario-based training; addressing TCC concerns regarding operational constraints, risk tolerance, and support requirements; ensuring adequate and verified pre-deployment training to meet mission requirements and enhance operational effectiveness; strengthening integrated planning mechanisms and in-mission training; and developing frameworks that balance robust protection of civilians with peacekeeper safety in high-threat environments.