To make the promise of R2P a reality, institutional capacities need to be developed at national, regional and international levels to prevent and halt mass atrocities. An important step that governments can take to improve intra-governmental and inter-governmental efforts to prevent and halt mass atrocities is the appointment of a R2P Focal Point. This senior level official is responsible for the promotion of R2P at the national level and to support international cooperation on the issue through participating in the Global Network of R2P Focal Points. Appointment of an R2P Focal Point is a step that can be implemented by governments with differing levels of capacity in mass atrocity prevention to demonstrate their commitment to R2P.

This policy brief, drafted during a 2012 workshop, provides a set of recommendations that governments can choose to take into consideration while appointing a national R2P Focal Point. These recommendations are in no way prescriptive and should not be read as a check-list. Rather, they are intended to inspire states to consider some of the possibilities that could be achieved by appointing a national R2P Focal Point.