Today's debate is evidence of both how much has changed and how much remains ...

Today's debate is evidence of both how much has changed and how much remains unchanged. Perhaps never before in history have world leaders directed such focused attention on the protection of the defenceless. Yet, all too often, we continue to see civilians' rights violated during conflict. From South Sudan to Syria to the Central African Republic, countless men, women and children are caught in the crossfire, displaced by conflict and even targeted because of their religion, political affiliation or ethnicity.