The United Nations and the
Responsibility to Protect
(R2P)
Isa van der Drift
Cedar Ridge High School
What is the most important role
of the UN?
•
•
•
•
Peace building?
International Government?
Peacekeeping?
Preventing wars?
Relation to UN
• Founded on the grounds of…
o
o
preventing another World War
preventing mass atrocities
What is R2P?
• R2P is the obligation to protect
and help other citizens of the
world when
o Government can’t
o Government won’t
• Belief that nation-states are
required to act in their peoples’
best interests
Why is it important?
• We are all members of the global community
• Governments must protect their people
o
U.N. is a “global government”
• Responsibility to assist nations who can not assist
themselves
“Never Again”
• After the Holocaust, U.N. said
“never again”
• Yet, we had countless examples
of Crimes Against Humanity
(CAH);
o
o
o
Rwanda
Cambodia
Syria
• Why?
History of R2P
• Idea originated after 1994
Rwandan genocide
o
U.N. and other nations failed to
act
• Actual term originated in 2000
at the International
Commission on Intervention
and State Sovereignty (ICISS)
o
Created in the form of a
doctrine
R2P Doctrine
• Important points:
o
o
Sovereignty: responsibility, not a right
First state, then International Community/U.N.
• 3 Responsibilities
o
Prevent, react, rebuild
• Military Intervention: last resort
Military Intervention
• Last Resort
o
All others must have been
used
• Right intent
o
To halt human suffering
• Proportional
o
Minimum intervention
• Consequence of action less
than consequence of
inaction
Rwanda
• Government was unable to stop genocide
• Hutu killing Tutsis, as well as Hutus not supporting
actions
• U.N. and International Community not acting
o
Debating genocide vs. acts of genocide
• 800,000 people killed
Syria
• Bashar al-Assad using
chemical weapons against
civilians
o
Government unwilling to
protect people
• U.N. in political gridlock
• International Community
not doing anything
• Current peace talks not
working.
Central African Republic (CAR)
• Government unable to
control/help people
• Muslim and Christian
communities fighting
• U.N. refusing to help
o
Relying on other
nations
• Members of E.U. are
supplying troops
o
France, Belgium
Libya
• Fear that Benghazi would be attacked
• Military intervention used in Libya
o
o
Not a last resort
NATO- not U.N.
• Despite use of R2P, international community not
happy with use of military intervention
o
Chain of intervention
Faults with U.N. system
• Security Council
o
o
Veto Powers
Gridlock
• National security vs.
Human security
• Chain of intervention
• Sovereignty
Solutions: UNSC
• Security Council
o
o
o
Reform
Veto Powers
Pressure
Solutions: National vs.
Human Security
• Emphasize importance of
human security
• Political outlook
• People vs. Politics
o
Russia
Solutions: Chain of
Intervention
• Resolution directing specific chain of intervention
o
Prevent military involvement
• Potential chain:
o
o
o
o
Prevention
Humanitarian Aid
Negotiation
Military Intervention
Solutions: Sovereignty
• What is sovereignty today?
• Change the definition
o
o
Responsibility to protect people
Sovereignty is irrelevant when government can’t
protect
Bibliography
• "Libya Conflict: Q&A." BBC News. BBC, 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• "United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)." United Nations Support
Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). United Nations, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• "United Nations Official Document." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 25 Jan.
2014.
• "Central African Republic: Despite Insecurity, UN Provides Food for Hundreds
of Thousands." UN News Center. UN, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• "Genocide Watch." Genocide Watch. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• Melly, Paul. "Why Central African Republic Is Slipping Close to Catastrophe."
Genocide Watch. Cable News Network, 02 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• "United Human Rights Council." United Human Rights Council. United
Nations, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• "United Human Rights Council." United Human Rights Council. N.p., Dec.
2001. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
Bibliography
• "R2P – A Short History." RSS. United Nations Regional Information Centre for
Western Europe, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• Mutton, Jan F. "Responsibility to Protect." Dag Hammerskjöld Foundation.
DHF, Sept. 2013. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
• Farooqi, Manaal N. "Responsibility to Protect: In Need of Reform." Washington
Report on Middle East Affairs. N.p., Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• Olesen, Thomas. "Global Injustice Memories: The 1994 Rwandan Genocide."
International Political Sociology, Dec. 2012. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
• Power, Samantha. "Bystanders to Genocide." The Atlantic, Sept. 2001. Web. 25
Jan. 2014.
• "Learn About RtoP." Learn About RtoP. International Coalition for the
Responsibility to Protect, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
Photo Citations
• http://www.standnow.org/learn/responsibility
• http://endtimeinfo.com/2011/04/responsibility-to-protect-sets-tone-for-one-worldorder/
• http://dornsife.usc.edu/calis/hslc-topic-history/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council
• https://www.nytexaminer.com/2013/08/holding-them-to-the-promise-ofresponsibility-to-protect-contemplating-the-paradox-of-r2p/
• http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/police.shtml
• http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/46924.html
• http://justiceinconflict.org/2013/02/27/a-fatal-attraction-the-un-security-counciland-the-relationship-between-r2p-and-the-international-criminal-court/
• http://rt.com/news/syria-green-light-chemical-inspection-967/
• http://www.voanews.com/content/us-official-visits-car-calls-for-violent-groups-todisarm/1813524.html
• https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/