The conflict in the Middle East has been brutal for civilians.The intensive bombing in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and now Iran has destroyed hospitals, schools and homes in the thousands. The need for humanitarian assistance is rising rapidly across the region, but donors response is fading. The new style of intense air bombardment makes civilians especially vulnerable.

On the eve of UN Peacekeepers Day, this webinar posed a critical question: who protects civilians? We heard from civil society organisations working on the ground, explore the international Responsibility to Protect framework, and examine the role of the UN and peacekeeping operations in safeguarding human security, with a particular focus on women, peace and security.

Key speakers included:

Richard Simpson

Richard has worked in the humanitarian sector for over 25 years. He has worked both with UN organisations and INGOs throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. During his 14 years with Oxfam, he was Oxfam Australia’s coordinator for Gaza Responses in 2008 and 2014. He has recently returned from Palestine where he was the director for the INGO peak body (AIDA), representing over 90 INGOs within the humanitarian fora focusing on the current Gaza Crisis

Jen Wittwer, CSM

Jen Wittwer is an internationally respected specialist in gender mainstreaming and the global Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in the security sector with broad international experience with the ADF, NATO and UN Women. Currently a PhD candidate and Research Fellow at Monash University’s Centre for Gender, Peace and Security looking at the extent to which (local) women’s participation is integrated into human security and protection responses in UN peace operations.

Dr Matilda Byrne

Matilda Byrne is an emerging research and advocacy professional with a focus on humanitarian approaches to foreign and defence policy, conflict and security issues. Her recently completed PhD focussed on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and inter-governmental response to atrocity crimes. She is the Stop Killer Robots Australian National Coordinator based at SafeGround and Co-President of the Australian Peace and Security Forum.

With special guest moderator: Matthew Neuhaus, a former Australian Ambassador and Political Director at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, is now Honorary Professor (International Law) at the ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy. 

Co-hosted by the Australian Peace and Security Forum and the United Nations Association of Australia.

Recorded May 28 6pm AEST.