Secondly, in strengthening the protection of civilians, attention should be p...

Secondly, in strengthening the protection of civilians, attention should be paid to addressing the root causes and symptoms of conflict. The deployment of United Nations peacekeeping operations alone cannot offer a fundamental solution to the protection of civilians. The Security Council should prioritize preventive diplomacy in order to prevent and mitigate conflict. In a volatile conflict situation, the Council should commit to pushing for a strong and viable political process to achieve lasting peace and stability at an early date. The Council must focus on helping the affected countries to expedite security sector reform in order to build professional military and police forces and provide effective protection for their own citizens.