Last year was an important year in the Security Council for the issue of th...

Last year was an important year in the Security Council for the issue of the protection of civilians. Resolution 1894 (2009) introduced new provisions that focus on humanitarian access, the implementation of protection measures in peacekeeping missions, and monitoring and reporting. In the past year, the Council also took several important decisions related to the special protection needs of women and children. We welcome the fact that the Council has started to address the concerns of the protection of civilians more systematically. We encourage it to continue to address those concerns consistently in its country-specific resolutions and presidential statements.