During 2015 states, civil society and the UN took stock of the progress made in operationalizing the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) over the decade since it was first adopted at the UN World Summit in 2005. While practitioners noted the normative and institutional progress towards protecting populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, critical gaps remain in our collective response to the risk of mass atrocity crimes. As security challenges around the world evolve, we need to continue discussing how to address these threats in innovative ways.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, in partnership with the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, convened a workshop during December 2015 on Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Prevent Mass Atrocities in Johannesburg, South Africa. The interactive workshop brought together practitioners from the Global South – including from the emerging powers of India, South Africa and Brazil – to highlight mechanisms for enhancing South-South cooperation in implementing R2P.
The following outcome document highlights the challenges in implementation identified by participants and provides recommendations for strengthening South-South cooperation on mass atrocity prevention.
The document is accessible on our website via the following link: Ten Years of the Responsibility to Protect: Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Prevent Mass Atrocities.
Special Features
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect: Atrocity Alert, Issue 3
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Atrocity Alert is a weekly publication by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect highlighting and updating situations where populations are at risk of, or are enduring, mass atrocity crimes. |
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Just days after Syrian government airstrikes on a hospital in Aleppo killed at least 50 people, on 3 May the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2286 on “healthcare in armed conflict.” Drafted by Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Uruguay and co-sponsored by 84 UN Member States, the resolution called for greater protection for healthcare in armed conflict, noting that intentional attacks against hospitals and medical personnel are war crimes. In his remarks during the briefing, the UN Secretary-General condemned deliberate attacks against healthcare in Syria, Iraq and South Sudan. According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), there have been 94 attacks in Syria against hospitals and clinics MSF supports, while the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that at least 70 medical facilities in Yemen have been destroyed by parties to the conflict in the past year. The resolution reaffirmed that States bear the primary responsibility to protect their populations and also stressed the importance of ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. This is the first UN Security Council resolution on healthcare in armed conflict and the forty-sixth to invoke the responsibility of States to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. |
 UN Photo/Loey Felipe  |
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect: Atrocity Alert, Issue 2
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Atrocity Alert is a weekly publication by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect highlighting and updating situations where populations are at risk of, or are enduring, mass atrocity crimes. |
 UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe |
Burundi After one year of conflict, Burundi’s protracted political and human rights crisis has claimed the lives of over 500 people and displaced over 250,000. Extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances and sexual violence are increasing. The UN Security Council should take decisive preventive action by authorizing a robust UN police presence to halt any further deterioration of the situation. |
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South Sudan Following a number of delays, rebel leader Riek Machar returned to Juba on 26 April to be sworn in as First Vice President of South Sudan. The parties to the civil war, including Machar and President Salva Kiir, must now swiftly establish the Transitional Government of National Unity and fully implement the August 2015 peace agreement, including holding accountable those who perpetrated mass atrocities during the civil war. |
 UN Photo/Isaac Billy |
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Burma/Myanmar Despite Burma/Myanmar holding successful democratic elections in November 2015, rampant discrimination continues against Rohingya Muslims. The new National League for Democracy (NLD) government has shown no sign of reversing decades-long institutionalized persecution of this vulnerable ethnic community, most of whom are also denied citizenship. The NLD cannot build a new, democratic Burma/Myanmar that upholds the human rights of its people without including the Rohingya in its reform process. The government should immediately repeal laws and policies that pose an existential threat to the survival of the Rohingya community. |
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect: R2P in Focus, Issue 1
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Keeping mass atrocity prevention a priority for the next UN Secretary-General |
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UN Photo/Marco Castro |
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As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon approaches the end of his term, member states and civil society have campaigned for improved transparency in the selection process for the next Secretary-General. From 12 to 14 April the President of the General Assembly convened interactive dialogues with the nine candidates currently nominated for the position. Member states questioned the candidates on a wide range of global issues. These dialogues presented an opportunity to encourage the candidates to ensure that R2P and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing remain a core priority of the UN. Spain and Mexico directly asked some candidates to explain how they would implement R2P in their work if elected. Four candidates, Dr. Igor Lukšić, Ms. Irina Bokova, Ms. Natalia Gherman and Dr. Srgjan Kerim, specifically mentioned R2P in their written statements and remarks. |
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During his term, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon worked to put “Human Rights up Front” in responding to grave violations of human rights. The next UN Secretary-General should continue efforts to keep mass atrocity prevention at the core of the UN’s mission. The next Secretary-General must emphasize the need for UN member states to consistently and comprehensively deliver on their commitment to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. |
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Global Centre Advocacy Highlights Our Executive Director, Dr. Simon Adams, recently met with six of the candidates to convey how the next UN Secretary-General can prioritize implementation and operationalization of R2P and the prevention of mass atrocity crimes. For more information, see our story on Storify. The Global Centre also co-signed a joint statement with Amnesty International, CIVICUS, FIDH, Human Rights Watch and the World Federalist Movement on priorities for a human rights agenda for the next Secretary-General. The Global Centre will continue to engage with candidates in the coming months.
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Sixth Annual Meeting of the Global Network of R2P Focal Points The sixth annual meeting of the Global Network of R2P Focal Points will be held in Seoul from 20 to 22 June 2016. The government of the Republic of Korea is hosting the meeting in collaboration with the Global Centre. The focus of the meeting will be on practical implementation of R2P, including operational initiatives to strengthen national, regional and international capacities to prevent and halt mass atrocity crimes. |
ICTJ: World Report April 2016 – Transitional Justice News and Analysis
In Focus
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World Report
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Publications
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