Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide, Second Edition Second Edition | Page 21

Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide
(1) Limited Intervention includes the use of military force, often in a crisis situation, and
generally is intended to be of limited scale and short duration. Coercive interventions may be
conducted for objectives related to PoC, with or without the consent of the host state. An
intervention could be an initial phase or an extension of major combat operations.
(2) Major Combat Operations usually entail an extended campaign and includes
interstate conflict between traditional militaries as well as counterinsurgency. These conflicts often
require an extensive stabilization and reconstruction effort.
b. In addition to overarching legal and moral PoC requirements, recent military experiences
provide at least three significant reasons to support PoC. First, peace operations, stability efforts,
and counterinsurgency experience and doctrine highlight that the population is often the center of
gravity for military operations, and the population’s support is, in part, related to the ability to
provide protection from perpetrators or, in some cases, from rival identity groups. Second, civilian
casualties can undermine military efforts and become a divisive issue between multinational
partners. Even if a military force is itself not directly responsible for civilian casualties that occur,
there are likely to be expectations that the force should be able to prevent widespread harm to
civilians, regardless of the cause.
c. Finally, during peace operations and armed conflict military forces are to varying degrees
concerned with civilian welfare as they support efforts to shape a protective environment, as
discussed in Chapter 4. These longer-term efforts can contribute to the protection of civilians from
future threats, including those that are not necessarily related to violence. Under certain
circumstances, addressing other urgent human security 14 threats could be the main operational
focus of military forces as they support other actors. Additionally, it may be unlikely that a peaceful
political settlement can be achieved unless nonmilitary considerations are adequately addressed.
M ILITARY P O C R OLES
Whether engaged in peace or combat operations, military forces support PoC in two general
ways:
a. Avoidance of Civilian Harm. Military forces act in accordance with LOAC/IHL and other
relevant bodies of law to minimize civilian harm. Additionally, military forces avoid actions that
undermine efforts by other actors that improve human security.
b. Deliberate PoC Actions. Military forces conduct offensive, defensive, and stability actions
expressly intended to mitigate harm to civilians, including operations intended to create an
environment conducive to PoC.
THE 3-45 POC FRAMEWORK
The PoC Military Reference Guide adheres to the pyramid depicted in Figure 1.3. 15 Supporting
an overarching PoC philosophy, the guide addresses three fundamentals, identifies 45 tasks, and
discusses tactics, techniques, and procedures to accomplish the tasks.
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The protection of fundamental individual rights from severe and widespread threats and adverse situations.
Adapted from Giffen, Addressing the Doctrinal Deficit, 11 (which further attributes the model to Richard Iron).
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