Protection of Civilians in Modern Conflicts and International Humanitarian Law

United Service Institution of India (USI) in past has taken the lead in providing the platform for organising discourse and research in the field of UN peace operations in order to put across an Indian perspective on a few most crucial attributes of the current challenges faced by the UN peace operations. To this end, USI, the oldest think tank of India, in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), conducted a Seminar on Protection of Civilians in Modern Conflicts and International Humanitarian Law on 27 May 2024 at USI, New Delhi. This monograph is compilation of an extended version of a brief presentation by eminent speakers at the seminar.

Major General PK Goswami, VSM (Retd), is an Indian Army veteran. He was a Military Observer in UNAVEM in 1991-92 and senior faculty at the National Defence College, New Delhi. Presently, he is Deputy Director General and Head of UN Cell, USI.

Major General (Dr) Apurba Kumar Bardalai is an Indian Army veteran. He was a Military Observer in the United Nations Verification Mission in Angola and Deputy Head of the Mission and Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL. He commanded an infantry division and was the Commandant of the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan. He has authored two books on UN peacekeeping - "Changing Global Security: Its Implications for UN Peacekeeping Operations" and "Keeping the Peace". He holds a PhD from Tilburg University, the Netherlands, for his research on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon: Assessment and Way Forward.

Kompal Zinta is a fourth-year student, majoring in international relations at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune, with double minors in political science and law. She is presently a Research Intern at UN Cell, USI.