Responsibility to Protect

On 28th April 2006 the international community adopted Security Council Resolution 1674. This resolution reaffirmed the newly formed principle of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

The essence of the principle is that sovereign states, first and foremost, have the responsibility to protect their citizens from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. However, where the state is unable or unwilling to exercise this responsibility, the international community has the responsibility to assist in doing so, or in extreme cases, do so of its own accord.

Darfur is the first test case of the international community's commitment to this principle. The government of Sudan has demonstrated that it does not have the will to protect the people of Darfur. The international community must exercise its responsibility to protect the people of Darfur immediately.

World Summit

The drafting of a new principle.

The responsibility to protect was first endorsed by the international community at the World Summit for the 60th anniversary of the United Nations in 2005. The commitments made at the World Summit were that:

Paragraph 138.

Each individual State has the responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. This responsibility entails the prevention of such crimes, including their incitement, through appropriate and necessary means. We accept that responsibility and will act in accordance with it. The international community should, as appropriate, encourage and help States to exercise this responsibility and support the United Nations in establishing an early warning capability.

Paragraph 139.

The international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, to help protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, we are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case-by case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. We stress the need for the General Assembly to continue consideration of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and its implications, bearing in mind the principles of the Charter and international law. We also intend to commit ourselves, as necessary and appropriate, to helping States build capacity to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and to assisting those which are under stress before crises and conflicts break out.

A full copy of the World Summit document can be downloaded from: www.responsibilitytoprotect.org