The 18th report of the UN Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) titled “Sustained implementation of the responsibility to protect at the national, regional and multilateral levels” reflects on lessons learned in operationalizing R2P and emphasizes the need to strengthen implementation through sustained national, regional and multilateral policies. Against a backdrop of escalating armed conflicts, deepening geopolitical fragmentation and growing disregard for international law, the Secretary-General argues that atrocity prevention must be a continuous effort embedded into governance systems and public policy rather than a reactive or episodic response. The report outlines policy-oriented approaches for integrating an atrocity prevention lens across institutions to strengthen prevention, improve the protection of vulnerable populations and ensure non-recurrence.

The Global Centre has produced a summary of the report, which is available here: Summary of the UN Secretary-General’s 2026 Report on R2P, Sustained implementation of the responsibility to protect at the national, regional and multilateral levels