New Perspectives on Protection of Civilians – Lessons Learned from the NATO-UN POC Course

What can military actors do to mitigate harm towards civilians? This is a question FINCENT’s two-week Approaches to Protection of Civilians in NATO and UN Operations course (NATO UN POC) sought to answer, when participants gathered from across the globe. Our diverse learner groups, coming from a wide array of military and civilian backgrounds, were offered a deep dive into the protection of civilians (POC) in a world where armed conflicts are more dangerous to civilians than ever before.

FINCENT approaches the issue holistically – since threats to civilians are complex, the solutions to counter them must be equally multifaceted. On one hand, our course looks at POC in the framework of UN and NATO POC policies as well as International Humanitarian Law.

On the other hand, we believe that to best respond to contemporary challenges, we need to shift the focus to the perpetrators’ underlying rationales to harm civilians and how to affect those directly – an approach we call the threat-based model. As a result, our aim is to impart new perspectives and practical tools that our learners can apply in their respective fields of work.

The NATO UN POC course is organised twice a year. In 2025, the first iteration was conducted in March at FINCENT`s home base in Helsinki, Finland. The second iteration in August was organised by FINCENT and hosted by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom at Shrivenham Station (course photo below). After both iterations of our intense course, we took the opportunity to talk with some of the learners and mentors, who agreed to share their takeaways from their journey with FINCENT.

Of Soldiers and Civilians

Canadian Evan arrived in Finland with a solid POC mindset and extensive experience as a civil servant working with the topic. As a POC Officer in the UN Department of Peace Operations, his daily work revolves around supporting POC mandates in UN peacekeeping operations. For Evan, the biggest takeaways from the course came from the military side.

-The course has helped to provide more detail on military planning and analysis processes, as well as on military response options to protect threats, which I will be able to take into discussions in considering how to effectively protect civilians in a comprehensive and integrated manner, Evan says.

To Evan, the course also consolidated the importance of comprehensive approach and cross-cutting cooperation. Protection of civilians is not up to one actor, but instead a collective effort.

- Protecting civilians requires commitment at all levels of planning and decision making. The military has an important role to play, including through using force in certain circumstances. At the same time, our understanding of POC has evolved to recognise that other actors – civilians and police, for example – can contribute to POC just as effectively as the military, he explains.

Jelena, a legal advisor (LEGAD) to the Chief of Defence of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, plays a key role in shaping POC approaches in her country. As the only LEGAD in the Montenegrin Army, she has the potential to contribute significantly to how POC is viewed in military planning.

In Jelena’s opinion, POC should be a strategic objective in itself. To further integrate this view into her country’s military thought, Jelena is looking to develop a POC training programme for the Montenegrin Army that would be incorporated into mandatory training. With this aim in mind, she thinks the NATO-UN POC course has expanded her competences beyond her prior legal expertise.

- The course provided me with useful tools, as well as with a foundation for a comprehensive approach to analysing threats and solving specific situations from the military’s perspective in a way that truly focuses on the protection of civilians.

Jelena especially appreciated the wide-ranging expertise present in the classroom; as in her view, people from differing backgrounds brought fresh angles to the discussions.

- Thanks to the diversity of participants, the course allowed me to view POC from different perspectives. The constructive exchange of opinions helped me see both the advantages and limitations of different actors, from humanitarian workers to military personnel, she explains.

Hanna, who works in the National Defence Unit at Finland’s Ministry of Defence, shares Jelena’s appreciation for new perspectives. In her view, networking and sharing ideas in an international group is integral in expanding her POC skillset.

- I work on issues related to cooperation between authorities, the Comprehensive Security Approach and CIMIC (civil-military cooperation), and the course gave me new insights into these topics. It’s always interesting to hear how things are done in other countries, Hanna says.

- I've met some incredibly smart and interesting people with whom I will hopefully keep in touch with in the future.

Fleur, Head of Gender and Inclusive Security at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and NATO Civil Society Advisory Member on Women, Peace and Security, brought a deeply human-security–focused perspective to the course.

 - I apply a human and state security lens to the work I do and POC integrates the two, she explains. Working at the intersection of the security sector, humanitarian and civil society organisations help me understand how POC is operationalised in real contexts.

Her key takeaway from the course was that the effective protection of civilians demands a truly comprehensive approach, one that unites diverse actors and prioritises understanding of the human environment.

- POC is about mitigating harm – both from one’s own actions and from others who perpetrate violence. What has been most interesting for me is understanding the military approach to the use of force, what POC changes, and how it connects to Human Security and the WPS agenda, Fleur notes.

New Wars, New Challenges

In terms of the biggest challenges regarding POC, all participants mention asymmetry in some form – attesting to the changing landscape of today’s warfighting.

In Hanna’s view, the involvement of non-state actors, militias and criminal networks makes it harder to distinguish combatants from civilians, thus complicating POC efforts. She also considers new technologies – such as drones, cyberattacks and AI-based surveillance – as threats, as they are increasingly used in ways that endanger civilians. In terms of global, large-scale challenges, Hanna wants to bring climate change to the discussion as a major risk factor, as its effects can fuel conflicts and make POC even more critical in the future.

Hanna and Jelena both highlight the growing trend of urban warfare. According to Jelena, civilian casualties are now inevitable in densely populated areas, which leaves room for improvement in how modern militaries approach POC.

- The armed forces should work more on adjusting their mindset to the fact that protecting civilians is just as necessary as executing any operation, Jelena states.

Evan takes another approach and raises the point of armed actors specifically targeting civilians.

- Parties to conflict intentionally targeting civilians in hostilities is one of the hardest challenges to counter when armed actors are committed to pursuing violence as a policy, he contemplates.

Evan also highlights the importance of a strong POC mindset. He believes that lack of interest towards POC is one of the biggest challenges we have when it comes to effective protection.

- Politically, the ‘space’ for protection is under pressure, especially in the context of geopolitical shifts and fast-evolving conflict dynamics, where protection considerations may not be prioritised by key actors. Protecting civilians requires commitment at all levels of planning and decision making, he explains.

-Preserving political, policy and financial support for protection will be crucial moving forward.

Fleur emphasises that the political climate remains one of the greatest challenges for POC today, alongside the lack of integration between military and civilian actors.

- The intentional use of aggressive force to control populations, and the failure to respect international humanitarian law, pose enormous obstacles, she says. We still need a stronger collective mindset and more cooperation between the military and civilian sectors to achieve a whole-of-society approach to resilience and defence.

To Virtual Reality and Beyond

Although the course can at times be an intense experience, there is also time for fun and life beyond the classroom.

When asked about their most memorable moments from the course, both Evan and Jelena mention the virtual reality (VR) exercise done in the second week. The exercise prompted participants to apply what they had learned to a fictional scenario: they developed a threat-based analysis and defined their own response to threats, all within an interactive VR environment. For many, it was their first time using VR goggles, making the experience both educational and exciting.

- In my opinion, virtual reality is a great way of learning, Jelena says.

Hanna appreciated the daily Kahoot quizzes – aimed to repeat and summarise what had been covered each day – despite never winning a single round.

Evan enjoyed the Finnish sauna experience, but that was by no means his only taste of what Finland as a location has to offer:

- Going to see legendary Helsinki-based hockey team Jokerit win a series-clinching playoff game at Helsinki Ice Hall was quite memorable for me as a hockey-loving Canadian, he concludes.

When One Time Just Isn’t Enough

Although learners are the stars of our show, they are by no means the only ones involved in our course – FINCENT also brings together international experts to serve as mentors for NATO-UN POC. These mentors guide course activities, facilitate small-group discussions and push our learners to think outside the box.

Italian Officer Ludovica Glorioso was one member of the mentor team during the first course iteration this year. Ludovica first attended the course in 2019 as a learner and has since returned twice as a mentor. As a Legal Advisor at the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE), Ludovica brings to the table valuable insights into the legal dilemmas that mark POC efforts in contemporary geopolitical contexts.

- Adhering to International Humanitarian Law is not optional, but a fundamental legal obligation for all parties involved in armed conflict, she underlines.

As a NATO employee, Ludovica views the course through the Alliance’s strategic lens. She sees the long-standing collaboration with FINCENT as highly beneficial.

- I consider FINCENT a NATO flagship in the field of Human Security education and training. It plays a vital role in supporting the international community with high-quality, innovative and modern training in this field, she explains.

From Ludovica’s perspective, the course introduces new approaches to integrating POC into military planning, while minimising civilian harm. In her opinion, the course and its design contribute to fostering a people-centred approach to security. After all, effective protection of civilians is the cornerstone of human security.

Like our learners, Ludovica also deeply values the diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints the course brings together. She believes it is the people and the exchange of ideas that make the course as useful as it has been to her.

- The course provides an opportunity to examine POC from different angles with a group of competent practitioners affiliated with various international organisations, who are fully engaged in discussions on how to explore new perspectives and solutions in conflict scenarios, she states.

And what keeps her coming back?

- I strongly believe that this is not just a course – it’s an experience, Ludovica says.

Another member of the mentor team was Sera Orzel Gaeta, who, before her retirement last year, served for over a decade as Head of Branch in Civil-Military Interaction at SHAPE, NATO.

According to Gaeta, the NATO-UN POC course provides a much-needed platform for civilians and military personnel to explore common ground in conflict environments.

-This course creates a valuable space for civilians and the military to explore shared territory in conflict zones. NATO needs to include external actors in its planning to ensure a truly comprehensive approach. The erosion of international humanitarian law over the past decade has significantly impacted POC, making the human security agenda more important than ever, she emphasises.

When asked why she would recommend participating in the course, Gaeta highlights FINCENT’s modern teaching methods and technological edge.

- FINCENT is a leader in its ability to teach using modern methods and state-of-the-art technology. I personally find FINCENT and the staff trustworthy, professional and reliable, she concludes.

In 2026, the NATO-UN POC course`s residential phase will be organised 2 – 13 March and 7 – 19 September. You can read more about the course here. Application period for the first iteration ends on 18 December 2025.

You can also browse FINCENT’s other courses here.