Published on 11 March 2025

Protection of the civilian population

Armed conflicts and natural disasters put affected populations at risk of physical and psychological violence. The safety and well-being of those affected is jeopardised when local authorities fail to implement concrete protection measures. Recruitment of child soldiers, forced displacement and sexual violence remain topical issues. These issues are central to the SDC Humanitarian Aid’s efforts.

Children are particularly vulnerable in humanitarian contexts such as South Sudan. — © SDC

The protection of the civilian population is one of the main priorities of the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid. It is committed to protecting people affected by armed conflicts or natural disasters. To this end, it uses various instruments. Switzerland supports its partner organisations active in the field of protection either through financial contributions or by sending experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). The SDC’s Humanitarian Aid also participates in humanitarian and political dialogue with the governments concerned and/or local and international partners.

SDC focus

Protection issues play a central role in projects implemented or supported by the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid. The specific protection needs of the most vulnerable people are taken into account during operations.

The SDC coordinates its protection activities with other federal offices. Within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), it works closely with the Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) of the State Secretariat and with the Human Rights, Counterterrorism, Humanitarian and Diplomatic Law Division of the Directorate of International Law (DIL). This commitment is coordinated internationally through SDC offices abroad and, at the multilateral level, through Swiss missions in Geneva and New York.

The SDC’s Humanitarian Aid plays a key role in implementing Switzerland’s strategy for the protection of civilians in armed conflicts, which was adopted by the Federal Council.

Background

Protection encompasses all activities aimed at ensuring respect for individual rights in accordance with relevant international law. The most important instruments in this regard are the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These legal instruments make the protection of populations a central concern in all humanitarian activities and a key priority for the SDC’s Humanitarian Aid.

Despite years of efforts by Switzerland and the international community to improve the protection of victims of armed conflicts and natural disasters, the need for assistance remains enormous. Today, millions of innocent people continue to suffer violations of their dignity and physical integrity because their rights are either challenged or completely disregarded in crisis situations. They are forcibly displaced, subjected to sexual violence or killed.

The responsibility to protect these people lies primarily with the authorities of the country concerned, or with the entities that control the territory in question. However, if they are unable or unwilling to provide adequate protection, humanitarian workers must be able to intervene quickly and unimpeded. When humanitarian interventions are delayed or obstructed, as is often the case, victims are deprived of the assistance and protection they are entitled to under international law.