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/