September 2025 will mark 20 years since states gathered at the 2005 United Nations World Summit and unanimously adopted the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), establishing a global commitment to prevent and protect populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.

The adoption of R2P was a pivotal moment, signaling a global commitment to transform words into action and actively prevent mass atrocities wherever and whenever they are threatened. While we have seen positive developments since the global commitment to R2P was originally forged, much work remains to be done to ensure that the principle is consistently practiced.

R2P is a promise to act on behalf of people for whom mass atrocities are not abstract words, but real acts that pose an existential threat to them, their loved ones and communities. The Global Centre remains committed to make this promise a reality.

The 20th anniversary year is a critical time for the international community to recommit – with renewed urgency – to upholding the enduring individual and collective responsibility to consistently protect the world’s most vulnerable populations. We must confront the growing gap between obligations and action.

Throughout 2025 we will reflect on the significant milestones and voices that have shaped the evolution of R2P. Join us as we bring together experts to explore challenges, identify best practices and share lessons learned through a variety of events, publications and our podcast Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention.

Global Centre Reflections on R2P’s 20th Anniversary

To mark the twentieth anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect is publishing a series of staff commentaries throughout 2025 reflecting on norm development and implementation, as well as the connections with other protection agendas.

• Twenty years of the Responsibility to Protect and the unfulfilled promise in Darfur
• The Perils of Loosening Hate Speech Protections
• Strengthening the safety net: Reflecting on 20 years of the UN Human Rights Council and the Responsibility to Protect

Events and Meetings Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of R2P

• To kick off the 20th year of R2P, we co-hosted the 2024 Evans-Sahnoun Lecture featuring a panel of past and current UN Special Advisers on R2P. They discussed normative progress, key lessons learned over the past two decades and strategies for strengthening atrocity prevention. That same week the Global Centre helped organize a “Special Edition” meeting of the UN Group of Friends of R2P (GoF), hosted by the Permanent Mission of Australia to the UN. This meeting featured a fireside chat between the Hon. Gareth Evans and UN Special Adviser on the R2P Mô Bleeker. All living former UN Special Advisers on R2P were also in attendance, giving members of the GoF unique access to more than a decade of expertise from the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and R2P in one room. The discussion helped member states frame their thinking around how to better operationalize R2P and set the tone for activities to undertake in the 20th anniversary year.

• On 26 February 2025 the GoF convened an ambassador-level meeting to discuss the linkages between R2P, atrocity prevention and peacebuilding with Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support. The discussion highlighted opportunities for member states and the Group to engage with the ongoing 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review and strengthen the integration of prevention efforts across the UN system. The UN Special Adviser on R2P, Mô Bleeker, and Acting Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Virginia Gamba, also participated in the meeting, providing updates on plans to mark the 20th anniversary of R2P, the forthcoming Secretary-General’s report and enhanced collaboration between their respective mandates.

• On 25 February the co-chairs of the GoF — Guatemala, Luxembourg and Morocco — also met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss plans for commemorating the 20th anniversary of R2P and to encourage his leadership in elevating discussions on the responsibility to protect within the UN system. On behalf of the GoF, the co-chairs emphasized the importance of this year’s high-level engagement in advancing atrocity prevention efforts and reaffirming the international community’s commitment to upholding the principles of R2P.

• On 5 March the Global Centre’s Executive Director delivered remarks during the panel discussion on early warning and genocide prevention during the HRC’s 58th session. Speaking alongside the UN Office on the Prevention of Genocide and R2P, her remarks focused on the critical need to translate early warning into early action to prevent atrocities. She also highlighted the HRC’s vital role as a forum for affected communities, including victims and survivors, to share their experiences and communicate their needs to the international community.

• The UN General Assembly held a plenary meeting on the “Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity” on 25 June and 1 and 25 July as part of the formal agenda of its 79th session. The meeting opened with introductory remarks by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. During his remarks the Secretary-General introduced this year’s report on R2P, “Responsibility to Protect: 20 years of commitment to principled and collective action.” During the debate 58 member states and one regional organization (the European Union) spoke on behalf of 99 countries and one observer mission. During the debate the Permanent Representative of Morocco spoke on behalf of the Group of Friends of R2P. Joint statements were also delivered on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic States, CANZ countries, the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations and by France on behalf of itself and Mexico.

• On 23 September a ministerial-level meeting titled “The Responsibility to Protect at 20: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment to Prevent Atrocity Crimes” was held on the sidelines of the opening of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. The event was convened by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and the Permanent Missions of Guatemala, Luxembourg and Morocco to the UN, with co-sponsorship from the Permanent Missions of Australia and Sierra Leone. During this milestone year, the annual high-level meeting on the Responsibility to Protect brought together ministers, senior officials and key stakeholders to reflect on two decades of the norm’s evolution, assess its impact in preventing and responding to atrocity crimes and chart a path forward for strengthening implementation. The discussion focused on best practices, lessons learned, emerging challenges and the role of regional and international mechanisms, as well as of civil society, in reinforcing atrocity prevention efforts. The meeting also provided a platform for reaffirming political commitment to R2P and exploring concrete actions to enhance early warning, prevention and response strategies.

• On 26 September the Global Centre gathered members of the Global Network of R2P Focal Points present in New York for the 80th opening of the UN General Assembly for an energizing breakfast meeting. Participants heard remarks from Global Centre Executive Director, Savita Pawnday, the newly-appointed UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani, and the UN Special Adviser on R2P, Mô Bleeker. Together they reflected on key takeaways from UNGA80 High-Level Week and explored how the UN80 reform process can strengthen multilateral action to prevent atrocities.