ACMC delivered Protection of Civilians training in Canberra on 1-2 April 2025 to more than 70 participants from Australian government and civil society, as well as representatives from governments and militaries across the Indo-Pacific.
The course focused on contemporary Protection of Civilians topics, including the challenges of mitigating harm in urban environments, socially inclusive protection approaches in Somalia and Myanmar, the importance of protecting cultural property, and how Protection of Civilians enhances the chances of a sustaining peace once the conflict has ended.
United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism, Professor Ben Saul, delivered the keynote address, outlining how militaries can learn from some of the good practices identified in recent counter-terror campaigns.
“The inclusion of regional participants was a great addition to this course – we learned a lot from their insights and focus areas, and how they have been addressing some critically important and complex Protection of Civilians challenges in our region. I hope we can continue to work with our counterparts on regional solutions to these challenges” ACMC Executive Director, Nicola Rosenblum said.
The course concluded with a simulation exercise on the challenges of maintaining civilian protection in warzones during evacuations.
Further details of ACMC’s commitment to Protection of Civilians: https://acmc.gov.au/why-were-here/protection-of-civilians
