CIAO DATE: 10/2014
July 2014
United States Institute of Peace
This report addresses the increasingly common practice of state-sanctioned civil defense groups—groups that governments have established or supported to provide security to communities when state security forces are unwilling or unable to do so. Given the perverse results that many communities experience from armed militias breaching domestic and international law, this report recommends developing better accountability of such groups. More specifically, it argues for developing an international normative instrument that enhances accountability of both states and civil defense groups by restating the rules of international law, establishing a due diligence policy, and developing a code of conduct.
Resource link: Civil Defense Groups [PDF] - 149K