The R2P Debate

The United Nations General Assembly recently debated the concept of “R2P” or the “responsibility to protect” – which describes “a nation-state’s duty to support and defend its population” to prevent atrocities such as genocide and ethnic cleansing from occurring.

The consensus is that there are three pillars supporting the idea of R2P –

1. Responsibility of nation-states to protect their own people
2. Responsibility of the international community to assist sovereign states in need
3. Responsibility of the UN to use collective force when a nation-state fails to protect its own people.

Click here to read a great article discussing the R2P principle and the controversy that the third pillar often creates when it comes to current issues such as Darfur and the Congo.