• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
  • WORLD DEMOCRACY
  • POLITICAL ART
  • more
    • election technology
    • money politics
    • political dissidents
    • THIRD PARTY
      • third party central
      • green party
      • justice party
      • libertarian party
    • voting methods
  • DC INFO
    • author central
    • about
    • advertise with DC
    • contact
    • privacy policy

Democracy Chronicles

The Responsibility to Protect: When is it Applicable?

by Joan Krickellas - June 17, 2016

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

Responsibility to Protect

Following the genocides in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Kosovo in the 1990s, there was a serious international debate on how the world could effectively react when citizens’ human rights are grossly and systematically violated. The failure of UN peacekeepers in Rwanda who watched the Hutu slaughter 800,000 Tutsi, the failure of the UN presence to prevent murderous ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, and NATO’s controversial forceful military intervention in Kosovo, all showcased the frustrations and contentions resulting from both inaction and action in the face of atrocities.

There was clearly a need for the international community construct a new method by which to garner wider support to deal with mass atrocities.  Thus, The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was created in 2005.  This doctrine deemphasizes humanitarian military intervention by outside states, focusing instead on the duty of a state toward its own population.  Specifically, it asserts that “sovereignty is a responsibility” of the state. The state should be accountable for four specific crimes (genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing), and must take responsibility for the welfare of its citizens and the humanitarian consequences of conflict. Only when a state fails to protect its people, whether because of lack of ability or lack of willingness, should the responsibility shift to the broader international community. Military intervention is a last resort.

Responsibility to ProtectUnlike prior human rights doctrines, R2P focuses not only on helping states when a crisis actually occurs, but takes on a holistic approach, determining the root causes of atrocities as well as how to rebuild post-conflict.  R2P seeks not to intervene militarily, but to delineate and reinforce the obligations of states to prevent, protect, and rebuild. It provides the framework for addressing all stages of the conflict cycle and for ensuring the focus on protection against mass human atrocities in times of conflict.

R2P clearly should have applied in Syria, from back in 2000 when Bashar Assad ruled under an authoritarian regime.  As stated in the Syria 2014 Human Rights Report, from the beginning “the regime routinely violated the human rights of its citizens…there were widespread abuses and violations of persons whom the government arbitrarily and unlawfully killed…government forces conducted systematic attacks against civilians in hospitals, residential areas, schools, and camps holding international displaced persons… the regimes continued the systematic widespread use of torture and rape, including those against children, targeted killing of protesters, bystanders, journalists, and medical professionals… restricted press, internet, and academic freedoms.” The list goes on.  So, clearly, the government of Syria failed to uphold its responsibility to protect, and thus, this responsibility shifted to the international community.

However, the US avoided using R2P as its basis for combatting the Syrian government’s gross violations of human rights. Perhaps if the US had seen the Assad regime as a problem, at least from 2011, just before the civil war began and less had been killed, the Obama administration would have used R2P. The escalation of turmoil, with the rise of ISIS, made the US hesitant to invoke R2P because of the fear of eventually committing to military intervention.  The Obama administration instead went through with $500 million plan to train and equip moderate rebels to combat ISIS and then to lesser extent, the Assad regime. This plan to let the Syrians fight for themselves massively failed.

As a result, the US looked to launching airstrikes against ISIS strongholds in Syria.  Then ironically, to justify these military actions, it used R2P.  While many deem airstrikes as a necessary measure since ISIS is a terrorist organization, justifying them under R2P may not be accurate. As mentioned previously, R2P emphasizes humanitarian intervention, with military force only as a last resort. In short, I am not questioning whether or not the R2P is necessary, rather when it can be applied.

FacebookTweetLinkedInPin

Filed Under: DC Authors Tagged With: Balkan Nations, Rwanda, Syria, Worldwide

About Joan Krickellas

Joan Krickellas is a student at Vassar College majoring in environmental studies, with particular emphasis in biology and women’s studies. Social issues she finds to be of particular interest include those that pertain to human rights, migration/immigration, discrimination, and climate change. She firmly believes that everyone should have the right to voice their opinions. Democracy Chronicles is where she feels comfortable in voicing her own.

Some highlighted Democracy Chronicles topics

Africa American Corruption American Local Elections American State Elections Asia Capitalism and Big Business Celebrity Politics China Democracy Charity Democracy Protests Democrats Dictatorships Education Election History Election Methods Election Security Election Transparency Europe Internet and Democracy Journalism and Free Speech Middle East Minority Voting Rights Money Politics New York City and State Elections Political Artwork Political Dissidents Political Lobbying Redistricting Republicans Russia Socialism and Labor Social Media and Democracy South America Spying and Privacy Supreme Court Third Party Voter Access Voter ID Voter Registration Voter Suppression Voter Turnout Voting Technology Women Voting Rights Worldwide Worldwide Corruption

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home | DC AUTHORS | The Responsibility to Protect: When is it Applicable?

Primary Sidebar

Advertise button

The Christian Evangelical Church

By Jack Jones January 22, 2023

I am not against Big Business having a voice, just not all the voices, and especially not an impersonator pretending to speak for God.

No One In Monterey County Is Good Enough To Serve In Legislature

By Joe Mathews January 9, 2023

California’s “democratic reforms” have left a place as… [key] as Monterey County without any state representation from one of its own.

democracy chronicles newsletter

DC AUTHORS

In America, the Joe-mocracy Rules

By Joe Mathews December 27, 2022

A republic? A democracy? No, our country is an avuncular autocracy run by old guys named joe.

Property Rights, Indiana-Style

By Andrew Straw December 24, 2022

Indiana’s justices have replaced constitutional property rights with ad hominem politics. Replacing them starts with better governors.

To The American Oligarchs: Lay Off Us

By Jack Jones December 21, 2022

No matter how many jobs are ruthlessly pulled out from under us, we are still going to do what it takes to put food on the table.

Indiana’s Irrational Ballot Access System

By Andrew Straw December 4, 2022

Opposing the potential 2024 retention of the Chief Justice Loretta Rush will be key to preventing disability discrimination bad blood in Indiana courts.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Biden’s Loan Forgiveness program

By Jack Jones November 24, 2022

What is unlawful is the Texas federal judge’s decision to strike down President Biden’s loan forgiveness program, not the program itself.

DeSantis Battles Trump in Florida Steel Cage Match

By Steve Schneider November 20, 2022

We take you now to the much-anticipated DeSantis-Trump steel cage match, in which “DeSanctimonious” has promised to “kick Trump’s ass.”

Why Gambling Can’t Really Lose In California

By Joe Mathews November 2, 2022

When state voters approved an expansion of casino gaming, gaming interests assured us that gambling here would be governed by strict limits.

MORE FROM OUR AUTHORS

VISIT OUR POLITICAL ART SECTION:

dc political art

DEMOCRACY CULTURE

Russian Wagner Boss Acknowledges Comparison With Rasputin

Russian Wagner Boss Acknowledges Comparison With Rasputin

January 30, 2023

Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin responded to comparisons [with]…Rasputin who treated the son of the last tsar for haemophilia.

ChatGPT Is Changing Education, AI Experts Say

ChatGPT Is Changing Education, AI Experts Say

January 30, 2023

Newly-launched AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT is changing the internet landscape. It presents several opportunities, including in education.

Girl Scouts Earn Democracy Badge At Workshop In Salina

Girl Scouts Earn Democracy Badge At Workshop In Salina

January 26, 2023

The workshop assisted Girl Scouts in grades K–10 in earning their Democracy Badge through learning activities on democracy.

Study: Media Can Reduce Polarization By Telling Personal Stories

Study: Media Can Reduce Polarization By Telling Personal Stories

January 26, 2023

Sharing personal experiences and pairing them with facts reduces political dehumanization and increases political tolerance.

Study: 2020 Election Resulted In Increased Anxiety And Depression

Study: 2020 Election Resulted In Increased Anxiety And Depression

January 7, 2023

A review of 2020 Household Pulse Survey data reveals that as an election nears, people in [America] report more depression and anxiety.

MORE CULTURE

VISIT OUR US DEMOCRACY SECTION:

American Democracy