Ukraine endorsed the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians in UN PKO

Ukraine endorsed the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians in UN PKO

On May 11th, Ukraine along with other contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations (PKO) endorsed the Kigali Principles — a document that aims to ensure the recognition of the central role of the protection of civilians during the execution of UN peacekeeping operations.

The Kigali Principles were affirmed during the High-level International Conference on the Protection of Civilians in Kigali (Rwanda), May 29th 2015. In particular, these principles determine that, in order to protect the civilian population, the UN PKO should take all necessary measures, including, if necessary, force.

The founding members of the 2015 conference (Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Italy, Malawi, the Netherlands, Poland, Rwanda, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Uruguay, and Rwanda) are now joined by an additional 17 UN member-states, among them Ukraine, the U. S. A., Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and Latvia.

As of today, 29 countries have recognized the Kigali Principles. The recognition of the Kigali Principles by UN PKO contributing countries is an important step in determining a unified approach to the protection of civilian populations during the deployment of PKO and implementation of their mandates.

Ukraine, as an active member of UN peacekeeping operations, fully endorses the Kigali Principles and furthermore recognizes that, the protection of civilian populations is a fundamental role of UN peacekeeping operations.