The governments of Australia, Costa Rica, Denmark and Ghana hosted the second meeting of Global Network of Focal Points for Responsibility to Protect (R2P) on 29 September 2012 in New York, in association with the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect.

The meeting was attended by representatives of 36 countries. At the meeting, participants renewed their commitment to uphold R2P and establish domestic institutions to prevent mass atrocity crimes and protect populations. Participants also discussed the need to collaborate internationally through a global network of the national R2P Focal Points.

At the close of the 2005 United Nations World Summit, states agreed that they have a responsibility to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and to prevent these crimes. A national R2P Focal Point is a senior official who will facilitate the creation of national and sub-national mechanisms for atrocity prevention and who will promote international cooperation by participating in the global network.

The national R2P Focal Points initiative was launched in 2010 by the governments of Denmark and Ghana in collaboration with the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Since then the governments of Australia and Costa Rica have joined the facilitating group. At the present time 17 countries, representing all regions of the world, have appointed R2P Focal Points within their governments.

At the second meeting, recently appointed national R2P Focal Points discussed their role based on their specific national contexts. Participants exchanged ideas on how to better coordinate future efforts to increase capacities to assess risks, warn against, prevent and halt mass atrocities, including through national outreach and educational efforts. They recognized the value of developing a global network of national R2P Focal points, shared viewpoints on the way forward, and resolved to hold periodic meetings of the global network. The next meeting of national R2P Focal Points will be held in 2013.