Advocacy at the United Nations

Building support among policymakers for the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and its implementation is central to the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect’s advocacy, including efforts to advance atrocity prevention. Central to that work is engagement with United Nations member states through their missions in New York, their missions in Geneva and their governments in capital, as well as with the UN system more broadly.

This work includes educating policymakers, addressing misconceptions and advancing conceptual clarity and guidance for states about the norm and its implementation. The Global Centre does this through holding bilateral meetings, workshops and events for member state representatives and through our publications. which provide policy-relevant research and strategic guidance on cross-cutting issues, as well as on situations where populations are at risk of mass atrocity crimes. This also includes working closely to support the work of the UN Joint Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect.

The Global Centre conducts advocacy with UN member states through three main institutions:

UN Security Council

Serving as a credible advisor to UN Security Council (UNSC) members, the Global Centre urges the Council to uphold its commitment to R2P and the protection of civilians. It does so by utilizing bilateral meetings with states at their permanent missions to the UN in New York, confidential briefings and workshops, letters and statements and advocating for regular and formal briefings from UN human rights mechanisms in an effort to bring attention to atrocity situations. Global Centre staff provide expert advice to UNSC members regarding the inclusion of R2P language in resolutions on relevant country situations and thematic areas, and encourage the Council to view situations through an atrocity prevention lens.

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UN General Assembly

Engagement with the entire UN membership is crucial for achieving broad support for the prevention of mass atrocities and the implementation of R2P. Since its inception in 2008, the Global Centre has worked with UN member states in the UN General Assembly to help strengthen consensus on the Responsibility to Protect, promote the development of the norm and encourage states to uphold their individual and collective responsibilities to the prevention of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.

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UN Human Rights Council

In 2015 the Global Centre opened an office in Geneva, launching its efforts at advancing the institutionalization of R2P within the UN human rights system, particularly at the Human Rights Council (HRC). As the only NGO specifically focused on the prevention of atrocity crimes in Geneva, the Global Centre has contributed to advancing the consistent implementation and operationalization of R2P and an atrocity prevention lens across the entire UN system.

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“None of these crimes are 'inevitable' or a by-product of conflict. All atrocity crimes are preventable and can never be justified.”

António Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General

Work with the UN Secretariat

The Global Centre collaborates closely with the UN Secretariat to strengthen atrocity prevention efforts and integrate the Responsibility to Protect into UN policy and decision-making. It facilitates briefings, roundtables, trainings and partnerships that connect the Secretariat with member states, and civil society and contributes substantive input to UN reports and initiatives to help anticipate and respond to mass atrocity risks.

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UN Group of Friends of R2P

The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect serves as the Secretariat for the Group of Friends (GoF) of the Responsibility to Protect. The GoF serves as an informal inter-governmental platform for Permanent Missions to the United Nations in both New York and Geneva. The Group aims to promote dialogue and encourage UN member states to advance the effective prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

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Advocacy at the United Nations

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