Responsibility to protect

Definition

Responsibility to protect (R2P) is a global political commitment aimed at preventing genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. It asserts that sovereignty is not just a privilege but also entails responsibilities towards the protection of populations from mass atrocities. R2P emphasizes that the international community has an obligation to intervene, through various means, when a state fails to protect its own citizens.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. R2P emerged in the early 2000s and was endorsed by all UN member states at the 2005 World Summit.
2. The doctrine of R2P consists of three pillars: the responsibility of states to protect their populations, the international community's responsibility to assist states in fulfilling this duty, and the obligation to take timely and decisive action when a state fails to protect its citizens.
3. R2P has been applied in various contexts, including Libya in 2011, where military intervention was justified on humanitarian grounds.
4. Critics argue that R2P can be misused as a pretext for intervention by powerful nations, leading to potential violations of sovereignty.
5. The effectiveness of R2P remains a subject of debate, especially regarding the political will of states to act in situations of crisis.

Review Questions

• How does the responsibility to protect doctrine redefine traditional notions of state sovereignty?
  • The responsibility to protect challenges traditional notions of sovereignty by asserting that it is not an absolute right but comes with responsibilities. Under R2P, states must protect their populations from atrocities; if they fail to do so, the international community has a duty to intervene. This redefinition highlights that sovereignty includes accountability for protecting human rights and preventing mass violence.
• Discuss the implications of the responsibility to protect on international relations and peacekeeping missions.
  • The responsibility to protect significantly impacts international relations and peacekeeping missions by introducing a moral obligation for states and organizations to respond to humanitarian crises. This can lead to increased cooperation among nations in addressing atrocities, but it also raises tensions when intervention is perceived as infringing on sovereignty. Additionally, peacekeeping missions may be authorized under R2P mandates, thus changing their nature from traditional peacekeeping to more proactive measures aimed at stopping ongoing violence.
• Evaluate the successes and failures of responsibility to protect in addressing humanitarian crises in recent years.
  • Evaluating the successes and failures of responsibility to protect reveals mixed outcomes. For instance, the intervention in Libya is often cited as a success due to its initial objective of protecting civilians from Muammar Gaddafi's regime. However, subsequent chaos and instability raised questions about long-term effectiveness. In contrast, failures like the international response during the Rwandan Genocide showcase how R2P's implementation can be inconsistent and politically influenced, leading to critical gaps in timely interventions when needed most.

Related terms

Sovereignty: The principle that a state has the authority to govern itself without external interference, but under R2P, this is balanced with the duty to protect its citizens.

Humanitarian Intervention: Military intervention in a sovereign state, justified by the need to prevent or stop widespread suffering or human rights violations.

International Criminal Court (ICC): A permanent tribunal established to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, playing a key role in enforcing R2P.