R2P in Focus, No. 4
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R2P in Focus
R2P in Focus is a monthly publication from the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect designed to highlight recent events and political developments concerning the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).
UN Secretary-General’s 8th Report on R2P
UN Photo/Mark Garten
On 25 July the UN Secretary-General, H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, released an advanced copy of his annual report on the Responsibility to Protect entitled: Mobilizing collective action: The next decade of the responsibility to protect. The report highlights the undeniable progress made by the international community in upholding R2P, but argues that protecting populations remains dependent upon the willingness of member states to live up to the commitment made in 2005.
In particular, the Secretary-General notes that with 65 million civilians displaced by conflict, persecution and atrocities, “it is now up to Member States of the United Nations, in cooperation with other international actors, to take the principled and practical steps necessary to arrest the erosion of respect for norms of protection and put an end to serious violations of international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.”
The Secretary-General addresses the need for enhanced information sharing and a more successful translation of R2P principles into concrete support for structural and proximate prevention. The Secretary-General also calls upon UN member states to prioritize the protection of vulnerable populations by adhering to a Security Council Code of Conduct for mass atrocity situations. Additionally, the report highlights how member states have reinforced their institutional capacity for atrocity prevention, including through global and regional networks, such as the Global Network of R2P Focal Points.
This is the eighth and final report on the Responsibility to Protect issued by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The first annual report was released in 2009 and established R2P’s three pillars. Subsequent reports have focused on various areas, including the role of regional arrangements, timely and decisive response to mass atrocities, state responsibility and prevention, international assistance and early warning. Last year’s report observed the 10th anniversary of the adoption of R2P by taking stock of the progress made in implementation while highlighting key priorities for the next decade. For more information on the previous reports of the Secretary-General, please see our website.
Next UN Secretary-General
On 12 July the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, hosted a “Global Town Hall with UN Secretary-General Candidates.” The event, broadcast live by Al Jazeera, was a chance for the candidates to interact with UN member states and civil society. The Global Centre was invited to attend the historic debate.
The following day, the Ralphe Bunche Institute of International Studies co-hosted a debate with Global Citizen and the United Nations Association-UK at the CUNY Graduate Center for three of the UN Secretary-General candidates. During the debate, the Global Centre’s Executive Director, Dr. Simon Adams, asked the candidates how they would uphold R2P if they were chosen for the position.
On 21 July the UN Security Council held its first round of “straw polls” to signal the level of support for candidates to become the next Secretary-General. The next round of straw polls is expected to take place on 5 August. To date, the Global Centre has met with 11 of the 12 candidates to discuss R2P and ensure the next UN Secretary-General will prioritize mass atrocity prevention throughout their term. Additionally, the Global Centre jointly released a “Human Rights Agenda for the next UN Secretary-General” with our colleagues at Amnesty International, CIVICUS, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights and the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy.
Any Other Business
- Statement by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on the situation in South Sudan. On 11 July the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr. Adama Dieng, released a statement on the deteriorating situation in South Sudan. Mr. Dieng called for all parties to de-escalate the situation or “South Sudan could be plunged back into civil war, at unimaginable human cost.” View the full statementhere. For more background on the situation in Juba, please see our website.
- Joint NGO letter to the UN Security Council regarding an arms embargo for South Sudan. On 21 July the Global Centre joined 29 other organizations in urging the UN Security Council to impose an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan following the outbreak of violence in Juba. View the letter here.
Calendar Highlights
19 August 2016
World Humanitarian Day
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