The United Nations and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

Isa van der DriftCedar 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 preventing another World Waro preventing mass atrocities

What is R2P?• R2P is the obligation to

protect and help other citizens of the world wheno Government can’to 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 peopleo 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 Rwandao Cambodiao Syria

• Why?

History of R2P

• Idea originated after 1994 Rwandan genocideo 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 Sovereignty: responsibility, not a righto 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 intento 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

actingo Debating genocide vs. acts of genocide

• 800,000 people killed

Syria• Bashar al-Assad using

chemical weapons against civilianso 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 helpo Relying on other

nations• Members of E.U. are

supplying troopso France, Belgium

Libya

• Fear that Benghazi would be attacked• Military intervention used in Libya

o Not a last resorto NATO- not U.N.

• Despite use of R2P, international community not happy with use of military interventiono Chain of intervention

Faults with U.N. system• Security Council

o Veto Powerso Gridlock

• National security vs. Human security

• Chain of intervention• Sovereignty

Solutions: UNSC• Security Council

o Reformo Veto Powerso 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 interventiono Prevent military involvement

• Potential chain:o Preventiono Humanitarian Aido Negotiationo Military Intervention

Solutions: Sovereignty

• What is sovereignty today?• Change the definition

o Responsibility to protect peopleo 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-world-order/• 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-of

-responsibility-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-securit

y-council-and-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-to-disarm/1813524.html• https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/