Immediately after having suffered the horrors of the Second World War, the ...

Immediately after having suffered the horrors of the Second World War, the international community established important legal standards to protect civilians affected by armed conflict. These include the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and various international human rights instruments, whose main objective is to spare civilian populations from suffering, especially women, children and the elderly. For over 11 years, the Council has addressed this issue and has thus enriched the debate and created worldwide support for a sustained and concerted effort of the international community on the issue.