On 23, 24 and 28 July 2009, the General Assembly held the first debate on R2P since heads of state and government adopted the doctrine in the World Summit Outcome Document in 2005. The debate was convened to discuss the January 2009 report of the UN Secretary-General, Implementing the Responsibility to Protect.
It was an opportunity for all UN member states to engage in a constructive discussion on this report and also to signal real commitment on how to address, in the words of the Secretary-General, the "gaps in capacity, will and imagination" necessary to turn R2P from words to deeds.
Over 90 member states spoke, and an overwhelming number of states sought to advance the commitment made at the World Summit in 2005, not to undermine it. There was strong support from governments in every region for the Secretary-General's call for a three-pillar approach to addressing crimes of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, namely, state responsibility, assistance by the international community, and timely and decisive action if the state manifestly fails to protect its populations from the four categories of crimes and violations. There was much discussion on the challenges to implement this agenda , but member states sent a clear message that preventing mass atrocities is a moral duty and a political commitment for the United Nations.
. Below are background documents, speeches and news articles related to this historic debate. The statements made by member states are
by the General Assembly on 14 September 2009. It was adopted by consensus and sponsored by 67 countries. The resolution noted that the General Assembly received a report from the Secretary-General on the implementation of the responsibility to protect, held a constructive debate on the report and intends to continue to engage on the issue of the responsibility to protect. Available
| TYPE |
TITLE |
SOURCE/AUTHOR |
DATE |
| Op/Ed | The State's Duty to Protect: Enforcement in Question | George M. Anderson, America Magazine | 10 August 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Haciendo la Guerra para Traer la 'Paz' | Noam Chomsky, La Jornada | 08 August 2009 |
| News Article | Sierra Leone Delegation Participates in R2P Debate | Elizabeth Foray, Cocorioko | 06 August 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Ban Ki Moon and R2P | Ian Williams, Foreign Policy in Focus | 03 August 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Intervention and Indifference | Ian Williams, Tribune Magazine | 03 August 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Making War to Bring 'Peace' | Noam Chomsky, In These Times | 03 August 2009 |
| Report | Implementing the Responsibility to Protect - The 2009 General Assembly Debate: An Assessment | Global Centre for R2P | 01 August 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Next Word on Intervention | Ramesh Thakur, The Japan Times | 31 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | U.S. Backs Implementing U.N. Doctrine against Genocide | Joe Lauria, The Wall Street Journal | 30 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | An Illegitimate Criticism of R2P | Mark Leon Goldberg, UN Dispatch | 29 July 2009 |
| Press Release | Delegates Weigh Legal Merits of Responsibility to Protect Concept | UN Department of Public Information | 28 July 2009 |
| Speech | The Problem with the 'Responsibility to Protect': Bombing for a Juster World | Jean Bricmont, Interactive Informal Dialogue on the Responsibility to Protect | 28 July 2009 |
| News Article | Protection of Civilians Rests First with State: Pakistan Tells UNGA | Sonita Taylor, Associated Press of Pakistan | 26 July 2009 |
| News Article | Responsibility to protect citizens UN's foremost priority | Daily Times | 26 July 2009 |
| News Article | Saudi Envoy to UN Says "Stronger Int'l Court Needed" | Saudi Gazette | 25 July 2009 |
| News Article | UN Bodies should Reflect Contemporary Realities: India | The Times of India | 25 July 2009 |
| News Article | Chomsky: Sri Lanka, a Rwanda-Like Major Atrocity the West didn't Care | TamilNet, Sri Lanka | 24 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | 'Responsibility to Protect' in Saving Lives Stressed by United Nations High Commissioner Navi Pillay | Lawrence Gist, LA County Foreign Policy Examiner | 24 July 2009 |
| News Article | Chinese Diplomat: Implementing 'Responsibility to Protect' must not Contravene State Sovereignty | China View | 24 July 2009 |
| News Article | Experts Differ Sharply on 'Responsibility to Protect' | Zeenews.com, India | 24 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | La Responsabilidad de Proteger | Monica Serrano, El Pais | 24 July 2009 |
| News Article | No Night of the Long Anti-R2P Knives | John Boonstra, UN Dispatch | 24 July 2009 |
| Press Release | More Than 40 Delegates Express Strong Scepticism, Full Support as General Assembly Continues Debate on Responsibility to Protect. | UN Department of Public Information | 24 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Saviors or Conquerors? UN Mulls 'Responsibility to Protect' | Patrick Worsnip, Global News Blog, Reuters | 24 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Should the UN React to Every Country in Crisis? | Bernard Shusman, Voa News | 24 July 2009 |
| News Article | UN Debates "Responsibility to Protect" Doctrine | Democracy Now! | 24 July 2009 |
| News Article | UN Recognizes Papal Proposal, Takes Benedict XVI's Thesis Into Debate | Zenit.org | 24 July 2009 |
| News Article | General Assembly Debates Responsibility to Protect Populations from Genocide or other War Crimes | Lawrence Gist, Examiner.com | 23 July 2009 |
| News Article | Does the UN Still Value the Responsibility to Protect? | Kristen Silverberg, Foreign Policy | 23 July 2009 |
| News Article | Foreign Policy Fillip in UN Move to Stop Genocide | Anne Davies, Sidney Morning Herald | 23 July 2009 |
| Press Release | General Assembly Adopts Resolution Stressing Critical Need for Regional Approach to Conflict Prevention in Africa. Implementation of Responsibility to Protect: Secretary-General's Three-Pillar Approach is Focus of Subsequent Debate. | UN Department of Public Information | 23 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Protecting R2P | Lloyd Axworthy and Allan Rock, Huffington Post | 23 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Responsibility to Protect: An Idea whose Time has Come - and Gone? | The Economist | 23 July 2009 |
| Speech | The Responsibility to Protect | Noam Chomsky, Interactive Informal Dialogue on the Responsibility to Protect | 23 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | UN Debates Responsibility to Protect Threatened Populations | Gerard Aziakou, AFP | 23 July 2009 |
| News Article | At UN, R to P Confusion on Somalia and Sri Lanka, Even on Funding of Early Warning Office | Matthew Russell Lee, Inner City Press | 22 July 2009 |
| News Article | Kutesa Meets UN Chief | Henry Mukasa, The New Vision | 22 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Responsabilidad de Proteger | Juan E. Mendez, El Tiempo | 22 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Revisiting, and Reviving, the R2P | Ernie Regehr, Embassy | 22 July 2009 |
| News Article | UN - Never Forget Victims of Atrocities, Urges Secretary-General as He Opens Special General Assembly Session on Implementing Responsibility to Protect | ISRIA | 22 July 2009 |
| News Article | UNSG Ban Proposes Campaign to Prevent Massive Rights Abuses | Devin Montgomery, The Jurist | 22 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | When to Step In to Stop War Crimes Causes Fissures | Neil MacFarquhar, The New York Times | 22 July 2009 |
| Op/Ed | Africa: Uphold Continent's Contribution to Human Rights, Urges Top Diplomat | Mohamed Sahnoun | 21 July 2009 |
| News Article | UN Debate on Genocide Asks: Protect or Intervene? | John Heilprin, Newsvine.com | 21 July 2009 |
| Speech | Upcoming Debate on Responsibility to Protect not about History, but Character of United Nations | UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly | 21 July 2009 |
| Letter | Open Letter to Member States of the United Nations | Global Centre for R2P | 20 July 2009 |
| News Article | General Assembly to Begin Debate on Responsibility to Protect | China View | 17 July 2009 |
| News Article | UN to Begin Debate on 'Responsibility to Protect' | Afrique en Ligne | 17 July 2009 |
| News Article | Proponents of R2P Say That UN's D'Escoto and Sen Are Opposed - But Honduras Is an Exception | Mathew Lee, Innercity Press | 16 July 2009 |
| Report | "Implementing the Responsibility to Protect:" Responding to the UN Secretary-General's Report | Global Centre for R2P | 16 June 2009 |
