Neglect to Protect: R2P Revisited

All member states of the United Nations have committed themselves to endorsing the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). However, today’s world is more than ever characterised by brutal crises and protracted conflicts. What does it take to fulfil the R2P commitment and what role do nation states, the international community and local actors play in protecting those affected by genocide, war crimes and ethnic cleansing?

To find solutions to the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises, obstacles to the implementation of the R2P must be overcome, experts stated at the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger stressed already at the Aurora Dialogues 2018 in Berlin that people share the responsibility for crimes in which they do not intervene despite existing possibilities.

In light of increasing nationalism and isolationism, the role of civil society as well as potentially new, transnational partnerships and the improvement of existing structures were debated. The event focused on the manifold possibilities for overcoming the discrepancy between the rhetorical affirmation of the R2P principle and the cruel realities of current international politics. Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger stressed therefore in his closing speech that “It is our collective opportunity, and task, and obligation to try to work into the direction that the fundaments of international law will be interpreted in a way that prevents international law from protecting dictators and forces everybody to interpret international law as a law protecting humans.”

The side event “Neglect 2 Protect: R2P Revisited” of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative (AHI) at the 55th Munich Security Conference was supported by the Global Perspectives Initiative (GPI).

Claims and recommendations for action that emerged from the joint debate are summarized in our Paper of Claims (download attached). The german press coverage from Bayerischer Rundfunk on the work of Dr. Tom Catena can be found via the following link.