Human Right

R2P

R2P or Responsibility to Protect is a United Nation’s obligation to prevent humanitarian crises such as genocide, humanity crimes and war crimes.  R2P was approved at the 2005 World Summit and it has principles which are related with protecting the citizens from violation of human rights and other crimes which may bring adverse effects to their lives (Evans, 66). In addition, the United Nations complies with the international law which governs the human right and security. In meeting the objective, RSP applies government and intergovernmental measures such as economic sanctions, mediation and other important measures which help in preventing crime.  R2P has three pillars which are expressed in ‘2005 World Summit Outcome Document’ (Evans, 66). The pillars are the responsibility to protect the state from crisis, providing international assistance toward preventing crime and responding to the crisis in a timely manner.

Background                                  

            The need for humanitarian intervention was developed in 1990s after the tragedy between Rwanda and Balkanas. There was a debate on who was responsible between international community and States in responding to humanitarian issues.  Kofi Annan, who was the Secretary-General, challenged the Security Council in his report for the failure to respond to the Rwanda tragedy and to protect the violation of human right (Evans, 66). This led to the development of R2P in 2001 by Canadian Government.  The Kofi Anann’s challenge toward the Member State led to the development of ‘responsibility to protect’ in the International Commission report.  The latter was based on the notion that the State not only had the power to control the State affairs but also the responsibility to protect the people (Evans, 66).

 

R2P as an effective tool

R2P play an important role and acts as an effective tool in preventing humanitarian crisis. This is because, R2P is created with elements of legal structures and it holds a normative power.  It is important to note that R2P concepts are creates by United Nations and this indicates that it acts as a powerful incentives where all members can take action toward the crisis (Bellamy, 30).  In addition, R2P acts as a ‘collective understating’ where all members become committed in shaping the behaviors through creating a collective legitimization of State policy. Following that R2P is  also integrated in the international politics,  it acts as a tool for developing  ‘appropriateness standards’ and since it is internalized,  it will have a  high enabling effects  and legitimize behaviors (Bellamy, 38).  R2P concentrates on protecting the nations from crisis through proactive and reactive measures in international community. The important point which makes R2P an effective tool is that it is responsible to prevent the crisis, it is responsible to react to the crisis if it happens and finally it is responsible to rebuild and place the nations back to the position they were.  The principles entail the entire important role which R2P play in humanitarian intervention (Bellamy, 43).  R2P has brought significant change where citizens’ rights are not only valued by the State but also by the international community. Sovereignty in R2P is embraced by both the State and the international community (Bellamy, 44).

 R2P has a significant ideology of protecting human rights and this clearly shows the adaptive nature in responding proactively to the 21^st century warfare (Haas, 28).  R2P doctrine clearly represents their role as well as the ‘constructive step’ in fighting for human rights.  Its principles are based on the  idea that  the international community  values the rights of people and so  it will eliminate  the violations and  ensure that  every person  enjoys  the right and is not threatened by tragedies. The issue of protecting human rights is complicated in that the government has limited power in protecting its citizens. For many years, people have suffered from crime, slavery and torture (Haas, 34). According to Haas, theories such as Contract theory, Natural theory, Social Democratic theory and other asserts that there should be respect for human rights and individuals should enjoy the rights without restrictions. Other theories states that minorities should be respected in economic, social and political areas. In addition, individual should be legally provided with rights and there should be equal opportunities (Haas, 34).  In this case, it is important to assert that R2P is an effective tool in protecting the human rights in that, using the ‘enforcement action’ in responding to the matter, it means that the international community will use the international law and UN collective security. Thus, R2P as a tool to fight warfare complies with the existing law as well as the principle of sovereignty (Haas, 38).

 

Power asserts that America policymakers have failed to prevent mass atrocities in 20^th century.   She argues that America has revealed an ineffective response despite the fact that it has military and financial power in fighting with crisis (Power, 5). America has faced unspeakable atrocities and it is worth to say that the country has played part in assisting the attackers.  Looking back to the Cambodia, Iraq and other genocides, America has failed to offer effective response as   result of self-interest and   lack of will. It is undeniable reality that millions of people have survived from insurgencies and world crises. As Power asserts that America failed to provide proactive measured toward crises, it is an indication that many States have failed to protect its people as a result of lack of preparedness and unwillingness (Power, 8). However, R2P acts as an effective tool by holding the notion ‘right to intervene’. In this case, the international community has implemented enforceable standards   in fighting the crisis and in building foreseeable future. Other important point to note is that R2P acts as an effective tool through establishing procedures and rules which will be used in considering when and how to fight.  In addition, it included the military intervention and provided principles on when and how the military will intervene in order to minimize the cost and damage (Power, 15).

 

 The R2P involves collaborative actions from UN with a major purpose of maintaining peace and security.  In this case, sovereignty serves two purposes of controlling and responsibility.  In international practice, sovereignty ensures that   the citizens are protected from warfare nationally, all citizens internationally are protected from warfare and all agents’ states are accountable in providing security and peace (Bellamy, 26). Thus, R2P play a significant role of ensuring that human rights and human security are maximized in both national and international level. The important point with R2P is that it is developing national culture where all states are accountable to comply with international humanitarian law.  In addition, it is developing the human right law where all states are valuing the universal justice as well as standards of behaviors. The key thing which governs the R2P principles is protecting the human rights and practice universal jurisdiction (Bellamy, 28). Other important point is that R2P principals are not only tied with human right but also human security. Thus, international community concentrates on territorial security against internal and external crisis.

 

 

 

Work cited

Haas Michael. International Human Rights: A Comprehensive Introduction. Routledge, 2013

 

Power, Samantha. A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. New York: Basic Books, 2013.

Internet resource.

 

Evans, Gareth J. The Responsibility to Protect: Ending Mass Atrocity Crimes Once and for All. Washington,

D.C: Brookings Institution Press, 2008. Internet resource.

 

Bellamy, Alex J. Responsibility to Protect: The Global Effort to End Mass Atrocities. Cambridge: Polity,

2009. Print.