UNITED NATIONS, Jun 26 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world today is failing to protect civilians from mass atrocity crimes, calling for a renewed global commitment to the Responsibility to Protect \u2013 a principle adopted two decades ago that remains, in his words, \u201ca moral imperative\u201d and \u201can unfulfilled promise.\u201d
\nAddressing the General Assembly, the UN chief said that the world is witnessing more armed conflicts than at any time since the end of the Second World War.
\n\u201cToo often, early warnings go unheeded, and alleged evidence of crimes committed by States and non-State actors are met with denial, indifference, or repression,\u201d he told Member States on Wednesday.
\n\u201cResponses are often too little, too late, inconsistent, or undermined by double standards. Civilians are paying the highest price.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Secretary-General\u2019s address marked two decades since the 2005 World Summit, where global leaders made an unprecedented commitment to protect populations from the atrocity crimes of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
\nKnown as the Responsibility to Protect, or R2P, the pledge affirmed that sovereignty carries not just rights, but responsibilities \u2013 foremost among them, the duty of every State to safeguard its own people.
\nWhen national authorities manifestly fail to do so, the international community has a duty to act \u2013 collectively, timely and decisively \u2013 in accordance with the UN Charter.
\n\u201cTwo decades on, the Responsibility to Protect remains both an urgent necessity, a moral imperative and an unfulfilled promise,\u201d he said.
\nHe cited worsening identity-based violence, deepening impunity, and the weaponization of new technologies as compounding threats to populations around the world.
\nThe Secretary-General also presented his latest report on the Responsibility to Protect, reflecting on two decades of progress and persistent challenges. It draws on a global survey showing that the principle still enjoys broad support \u2013 not only among Member States, but also among communities affected by violence.
\n\u201cCommunities see it [R2P] as a ray of hope,\u201d he said, \u201cbut they also call for effective implementation at all levels.\u201d
\nGuterres emphasised that prevention must begin at home: with inclusive leadership, the protection of human rights and the rule of law. And it must be supported worldwide through multilateral cooperation and principled diplomacy.
\n\u201cNo society is immune from the risk of atrocity crimes,\u201d he said.
\n\u201c[Prevention] must be supported globally \u2013 through multilateral cooperation, principled diplomacy, and early and decisive action to effectively protect populations.\u201d
\nThe Responsibility to Protect was adopted by consensus at the 2005 World Summit \u2013 at the time, the largest-ever gathering of heads of state and government. The Summit also established the Peacebuilding Commission to support post-conflict recovery and the Human Rights Council to uphold human rights.
\nThe R2P principle is built on three pillars: the State\u2019s responsibility to protect its population; the international community\u2019s role in assisting States in this effort; and the duty to take collective action when States manifestly fail to protect their people.
\nSince its adoption, R2P has helped shape international responses to atrocity crimes, guided UN operations, and informed preventive efforts through national, regional, and multilateral mechanisms.
\nYet the gap between principle and practice remains a central concern \u2013 one the Secretary-General is urging the international community to close.
\n\u201cLet us keep the promise,\u201d Guterres said. \u201cLet us move forward with resolve, unity, and the courage to act.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 26 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world today is failing to protect civilians from mass atrocity crimes, calling for a renewed global commitment to the Responsibility to Protect \u2013 a principle adopted two decades ago that remains, in […]<\/p>\n
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