Theme content created in partnership with The Global Centre for the Responsibility To Protect
Article 1 of the Universal-Declaration states that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’. Article 3 affirms that ‘everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person’ Article 28 states that “Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized”.
What is R2P?
Never Again!
The world came together to say, "never again" in the aftermath of the World War II, the Holocaust and the use of nuclear weapons by devising and affirming the UDHR . Yet in the past six decades, we have witnessed mass atrocities all around the globe. All of us share a responsibility to do whatever we can to help prevent and protect others from such violence.
We call this the Responsibility to Protect, or R2P
The concept of R2P was launched with the report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, The Responsibility to Protect, in 2001.
The world’s heads of state and government unanimously adopted the principle of R2P in the UN World Summit Outcome Document in September 2005.
Whose responsibility to protect?
For individual states, R2P means the responsibility to protect their own citizens, and to help other states build their capacity to do so.
For international organizations, including the United Nations, R2P means the responsibility to warn, to generate effective prevention strategies, and when necessary to mobilise effective reaction.
For civil society groups and individuals, R2P means the responsibility to force the attention of policy-makers on what needs to be done, by whom and when.
It may be that our neighbour’s home is under siege, that a rebel group is advancing towards innocent people or that a government, corporation or organisation is lending support or indeed perpetrating crimes against humanity.
What can we do?
One place to start is with prevention: through measures aimed in particular at building state capacity, remedying grievances, and ensuring the rule of law.
But if prevention fails, R2P requires whatever measures - economic, political, diplomatic, legal, security or in the last resort military - become necessary to stop mass atrocity crimes occurring.
Now is the time to think creatively about what individuals, states, corporations or organisations can do to speak out and act against further assault against others.
Do what you can to protect human rights everyday. Join the Every Human Has Rights Campaign by signing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Share your stories of hope and struggle on Witness’ Hub so we can post them on our Every Human Has Rights map
Speaking to the Unspeakable
Listening to the Voices of Survivors
Four survivors, who speak of their experiences in the Jewish and Roma Holocausts, and Cambodian and Rwandan genocides. These stories are the starting point for an exploration of why good people allow evil to happen, and how it is possible to awaken the sense of urgency that will make prevention of genocide a reality. This video was taken at the opening event of the 2007 Conference on the Prevention of Genocide.
Still want to learn more?
Check out the following links for further reading on R2P:
Our common humanity
- The new Global Centre for R2P launched in February 2008. They are a proud partner in the Every Human Has Rights Campaign.
- Find out more about the work of EHHR campaign partners, The Elders, in supporting the Implementation of R2P in Darfur.
- Read Desmond Tutu’s op-ed on R2P in the International Herald.
Each month leading up to the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the campaign partners will highlight a specific area of the rights contained in Universal Declaration; teaching you about its roots, where it stands today, and how you can get more involved. This month’s theme, our Responsibility to Protect, has been brought to you be the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect.
