Human rights, a core value in peace operations

Human rights is an important aspect of the VIKING exercise. Dr. Annette M. Fath-Lihi´c  is a human rights officer from the Zentrum für Internationale Freidensmissionen.

The German Centre For International Peace Operations, ZIF, is represented at VIKING Photo: Anton Thorstensson / Försvarsmakten
Sometimes organizations must act on their own, says Annette Fath- Lihi´c
Sometimes organizations must act on their own, says Annette Fath- Lihi´c Photo: Anton Thorstensson / Försvarsmakten
Sometimes organizations must act on their own, says Annette Fath- Lihi´c Photo: Anton Thorstensson / Försvarsmakten

- This is my first time in this exercise, but I have been working in different missions  with the UN and the EU before. For example in Kongo, Liberia, Sudan and the Balkans, to mention a few.

-We cannot share our different perspectives in every moment during a mission, she says. There are circumstances when you have to act seperately, from the other actors. Especially because cooperation between civil and military actors can be confusing for the locals. That is something we have to realize as we might have different mandates and interests.

However, the awareness of civil-military cooperation has developed rapidly in the last few years.
- First there was a limited sense of cooperation, and then everybody expected a higher level of cooperation. But now, we must realize that we all have our role to play. Of course, we need to work together to make cooperation possible.

- We all have to understand the meaning and need of a comprehensive approach, then we will reach sucess, says Dr. Annette M. Fath-Lihi´c.