On 9 July the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect joined the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN in New York in hosting the 2026 Evans-Sahnoun Lecture on the Responsibility to Protect. The event was opened by H.E. Fergal Mythen, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations and our Executive Director, Savita Pawnday. Their remarks were followed by a virtual message from Prof. the Hon. Gareth Evans, Global Centre International Advisory Board Co-Chair.

The United Nations is navigating a period of heightened global challenges. Increasing polarization, fragmentation and a growing number of conflicts are placing significant pressure on multilateral efforts to prevent conflict and protect civilians from atrocity crimes. In many cases, these conflicts persist without sustainable solutions in sight, raising difficult questions about the effectiveness, credibility and resilience of international institutions.

This year’s Evans-Sahnoun Lecture took place during the same week as the annual UN General Assembly debate on R2P. The keynote was delivered by Richard Gowan, Program Director, Global Issues and Institutions at the International Crisis Group. During his remarks, Richard argued that the UN remains an indispensable forum for conflict prevention, but its ability to mediate crises and protect populations is being undermined by geopolitical divisions, declining trust in multilateralism and shrinking resources. He emphasized that effective atrocity prevention requires sustained investment in preventive diplomacy, mediation and early action, rather than waiting until violence has escalated. The speech concluded that reaffirming R2P means strengthening the UN’s preventive tools, supporting political solutions to conflict and renewing member states’ commitment to collective action to protect vulnerable populations.

Following the remarks, Richard was joined by Savita, alongside Oscar Solera Urcuyo, Team Leader in the Strategic Planning Team, Peace Missions Support Section at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Sean Kane, Team Leader at the Mediation Support Unit at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. They held a discussion that drew on lessons from some of the most challenging contemporary contexts and generated forward-looking ideas for how the UN can sustain its central role in conflict prevention and help rebuild confidence in multilateral action.