Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide
may have a range of motivations that may be contradictory or subject to change . Information on different actors may be incomplete or suspect , particularly if it is largely obtained from unreliable sources or rivals . It will not always be easy to categorize actors as completely “ good ” or “ bad ,” and the military force may have to work with adversaries or negative actors to achieve long-term PoC . Units must not overlook groups that are marginalized or have no voice , such as women and children or weak minorities .
Task 3 : Understand the Dynamics
Task Description
Military forces must understand how armed conflict and other situational dynamics affect PoC , which necessitates a thorough understanding of the conflict ’ s root causes and consequences . Dynamics are the major influences that affect the overall situation and potentially include strategic guidance and mandates , the type of conflict , the strategic logic of perpetrators , and the impact of the military force ’ s own operations . Additionally , as situations will not be static , civilian vulnerabilities and threats will change and new opportunities for PoC will emerge . Finally , key GPMESII considerations regarding the operational environment and the critical factor characteristics of the actors will continually evolve and require reassessment .
Task Relevance to PoC
Conflict dynamics will present ever-changing challenges including new vulnerabilities and threats , but also new opportunities that can be capitalized upon . An understanding of the broad dynamics will help explain specific PoC-related incidents . Conversely , proper interpretation of incidents that occur can help the military force understand emerging dynamics so it can conduct operations that support PoC more effectively .
How the Task is Accomplished
As discussed in the previous two tasks , military forces must develop and maintain a comprehensive and current understanding of the operational environment and relevant actors . Commanders and staffs should also identify the dynamic influences which can affect the situation , anticipate their impact , and understand how the dynamics can be constructively influenced . Units use this understanding to support an effective decision cycle ( observation , orientation on critical dynamics , decision , and taking action ) to address the following dynamics .
STRATEGIC
GUIDANCE AND MANDATES
Military operations will be influenced both by the conditions on the ground and by their strategic guidance and mandates . These two influences can create tensions , and leaders may be challenged in balancing them . In some cases , the requirement to protect civilians can infringe on host-state sovereignty and jeopardize host-state cooperation with the mission . In other situations , failure to protect civilians could result in friction with host-state actors . Strategic guidance and mandates provide the political and legal authorities for military forces , but ( since they are usually the consensus achieved after political negotiations ) may be vague , incomplete , late , and
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