What is the Protection of Civilians Aide Memoire?
The Security Council Aide Memoire for the Consideration of Issues pertaining to the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict was elaborated in 2002 upon a request from the President of the Security Council to the Secretary-General (S/2001/614), and is periodically updated by OCHA. All editions of the Aide Memoire were discussed by the Security Council and annexed to a Security Council Presidential Statement.
The Aide Memoire serves as a reference tool on the Security Council’s practice on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Based on this practice, it lists the main themes and issues that pertain to the protection of civilians, and proposes model language for the Council to address those. An addendum provides examples of verbatim Security Council language on each identified theme and issue. This site offers a user-friendly interface to search into the addendum of the Aide-Memoire, entirely populated with official Security Council language on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
The physical version of the Aide Memoire, having evolved from a 7-page document (S/PRST/2002/6) to several hundred pages of references (S/PRST/2018/18), is in itself a testament to the relevance of the protection of civilians to the Security Council, and the importance the Security Council gives to this issue, which it called “one of the core issues on its agenda” (S/PRST/2015/23, reiterated in S/PRST/2018/18).
The current Aide Memoire is the seventh edition, based on resolutions and presidential statements adopted by the Security Council until 31 August 2018.
- I. GENERAL PROTECTION CONCERNS PERTAINING TO THE CONFLICT-AFFECTED POPULATION (885)
- A. Protection of, and assistance to, the conflict-affected population (232)
- B. Displacement (90)
- C. Protection of the wounded and sick, medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical duties, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities (22)
- D. Humanitarian access and safety and security of humanitarian workers (121)
- E. Conduct of hostilities (63)
- F. Small arms and light weapons, mines and explosive remnants of war, and the indiscriminate use of weapons (102)
- G. Compliance, accountability and the rule of law (217)
- H. Media and information (38)
- II. SPECIFIC PROTECTION CONCERNS ARISING FROM SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS ON CHILDREN AFFECTED BY ARMED CONFLICT (133)
- Express concern at acts, threats or situations of violence against children, and condemn violations of international humanitarian law involving children (13)
- Remind parties of their obligations under, and call for compliance with, applicable international humanitarian law and human rights law, and relevant Security Council resolutions (14)
- Accountability for perpetrators of grave violations against children (17)
- Role of United Nations missions and other relevant missions and actors (30)
- Action plans and specific, time-bound commitments (15)
- Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration of children (16)
- Child detention (4)
- Training for peacekeeping personnel and other relevant actors (11)
- Children and peace processes (6)
- Targeted and graduated measures in response to violations of applicable international humanitarian law and human rights law related to children (7)
- III. SPECIFIC PROTECTION CONCERNS ARISING FROM SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSIONS ON WOMEN AFFECTED BY ARMED CONFLICT (194)
- Express concern at acts, threats or situations of violence against women and girls, and condemn violations of international law involving women and girls (20)
- Remind parties of their obligations under, and call for compliance with, applicable international humanitarian law and human rights law, and relevant Security Council resolutions (14)
- Women and the prevention and resolution of conflict (30)
- Express concern at, and condemn, acts, threats or situations of conflict-related sexual violence (18)
- Role of United Nations missions and other relevant missions and actors (39)
- Strategies, commitments and action plans (19)
- Training for peacekeeping personnel and other relevant actors (15)
- Targeted and graduated measures in response to violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law related to women (8)
- Accountability for the perpetrators of sexual violence (31)