The International Peace Institute (IPI), the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS) of the French Ministry of Armed Forces and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands are pleased to invite you to a seminar on “Protecting Civilians and Managing Threats: Non-state Armed Groups, Violent Extremism, and the Role of UN Peace Operations”. The event will take place on Friday, October 26, from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

This seminar will explore difficulties faced by UN peace operations to protect civilians in complex environments, where creative solutions are needed to address non-state armed groups and violent extremism. It will provide the opportunity to present and discuss two IPI policy papers focusing on “engaging armed groups for the protection of civilians” and “protecting civilians in contexts of violent extremism and counter-terrorism.” — Both papers will be published in October as part of IPI’s Protection of Civilians Project.
Please click here to view the agenda.

Welcoming Remarks:

• Dr. Adam Lupel, Vice President, International Peace Institute

• Gen. Thierry Lion, Senior Military Advisor, Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations 

• Rear Admiral (LH) Peter van den Berg, Senior Military Advisor, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN 

Opening Remarks:
Mr. David Haeri, Director, Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations/Department of Field Support 

10:30am-12:15pm  Session 1: Engaging with Armed Groups for the Protection of Civilians

Speakers include:

• Mr. Ralph Mamiya, Non-resident Adviser, International Peace Institute, Former Protection of Civilians Team Leader, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations/Department of Field Support

• Ms. Naomi Miyashita, Policy Planning Team Leader, Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations 

• Ms. Agnes Coutou, Peacekeeping & Protection Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross 

• Dr. Michael Semple, Practitioner Chair, Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, Professor, Queens’ University Belfast

• Mr. Adam Day, Head of Programmes, United Nations University - Centre for Policy Research

Moderator: 
Dr. Youssef Mahmoud, Senior Advisor, International Peace Institute

Keynote:
Mr. Jack Christofides, Africa II Division, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations

1:00pm-2:45pm Session 2: Protection of Civilians in Contexts of Violent Extremism: The Case of Mali 

Speakers include:

• Dr. Namie Di Razza, Research Fellow, International Peace Institute

• Mr. Samuel Gahigi, Mali Integrated Operational Team Leader, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations 

• Dr. Alpha Oumar Ba-Konaré, Independent Expert, National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO Paris)

• Dr. Marie-Joëlle Zahar, Non-resident Senior Fellow, International Peace Institute and Professor, University of Montreal

• Ms. Chloe Marnay-Baszanger, Peace Missions Support Section, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 

Moderator: 
Mr. Jake Sherman, Director of the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations, International Peace Institute

For questions, contact:
Beatrice Agyarkoh, agyarkoh@ipinst.org or 212-225-9628