We note the significant risks inherent in any initiative that seeks to oper...

We note the significant risks inherent in any initiative that seeks to operationalize the protection of civilians, especially in the light of the coexistence of divergent, mutually exclusive conceptual approaches to the problem and of the individual nature of each armed conflict. In this context, the issue of civilian protection forces us to reiterate the questions formulated in 2005 by President Hugo Chávez during the discussions on the responsibility to protect, which have yet to be answered. Who defines — and how — what is necessary to protect civilians? What is the body responsible for identifying the potential players — “spoilers” — threatening the fulfilment of the mandate? Finally, what risks do these issues present for the impartiality of a peacekeeping mission? It is necessary for the Member States to deliberate these issues in the General Assembly as a basic prerequisite for progress in the formulation of policies that bring about genuine and broad consensus.