Unarmed civilian protection

Drawing on the work of the Creating Safer Space network, this article introduces the main practices and mechanisms of UCP, gives examples of how it works in different contexts and discusses some of the central challenges of UCP work. We begin by outlining UCP, its principles, methods and activities. We then explore monitoring as one practice of civilian protection, focusing specifically on the cases of Mindanao in the Philippines and Kachin state in Myanmar. These two cases demonstrate two very different settings for this practice, and as such they exemplify the versatility of the UCP approach. We end with a brief discussion of the possibilities and limits of UCP, which humanitarian organisations thinking of adopting a UCP approach may want to consider.