The study analyzes the evolution and challenges of the concept of the civilian over the course of human history; the situation and victimization of non-combatants in armed conflicts since the end of the Cold War; and the international community’s practical implementation of civilian protection through robust UN peacekeeping missions. The work aims to advance our understanding of civilian protection, its origins and development, as well as its political challenges and operational shortcomings. It shows that even if civilian populations remain an object of aggression and violence in our modern world, humanity has come a long way in protecting the otherwise unprotected and convicting those guilty of systematic human rights abuses.

Robert Schütte is Senior Research Fellow at University of Cologne’s Department of Political Science and European Affairs and director of the human rights organization Genocide Alert.