General Assembly Debate on the Responsibility to Protect and Informal Interactive Dialogue
I. Presentation by the Secretary General of his Report “Implementing the Responsibility to Protect”
II. Informal Interactive Dialogue
III. General Assembly Debate on the Responsibility to Protect
IV. ICRtoP Publications on the Debate
V. Media and the Debate
UN General Assembly, 10 a.m.
In his brief overview of the report, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted that “sovereignty and responsibility as mutually enforcing principles” and emphasized upon the importance of the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted 3 main points from the report:
1. He explained that “the report seeks to situate the Responsibility to Protect squarely under the UN's roof and within our Charter, where it belongs.” He also added that developing UN strategies, standards and processes for the implementation of R2P will discourage states or groups of states from misusing these principles.
2. The report concerts that prevention based on practical and moral reasons should be most important. It seeks a balanced, nuanced approach to prevention and protection, by using the full inventory of tools available to the UN and its partners. It proposes thinking and policy development for ways the international community can support states in meeting obligations in this area.
3. The report tries to engage Member States to strengthen capacity in early warning and prevention. There should be an early and flexible response, tailored to circumstances of each case. Military action should be the last resort, and should only be undertaken under the relevant provisions of the Charter.
Addressing the Member States directly, he asked of them to do 3 things:
1. He called on them to “resist those who try to change the subject or turn our common effort to curb the worst atrocities in human history into a struggle over ideology, geography or economics. What do they offer to the victims of mass violence? Rancor instead of substance; rhetoric instead of policy; despair instead of hope. We can, and must, do better.”
2. To let the Assembly do what it does best – provide the venue for a continuing search for common ground, a multilateral strategy that works. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that he “ signs of convergence on the first two pillars of strategy: on state responsibility and international assistance. But, as everyone expected, differences persist on some aspects of the third pillar: on response.” Ban told the GA that the UN cannot expect to resolve all outstanding issues this week or the next, but can agree on keeping the dialogue going.
3. He reminded to “never forget the victims of atrocities and crimes. They number in the millions. Those losses have permanently stained the history of the 20th century. Together, the United Nations can chart a different course in this century. We must never give into the complacency and cynicism that have kept this organization from acting in the past.”
Ban concluded by warning the GA that “they will rightfully judge us harshly if we treat these deliberations as politics as usual.”
The Q&A session ended abruptly; it was expected for the Q&A session to last for an hour and for Dr. Edward Luck, Special Advisor with a focus on RtoP, to respond to questions that were raised after the Secretary-General left for his other scheduled appointment. However, Dr. Edward Luck did not speak; only Chile, Morocco, Guinea-Bissau, Egypt and Sweden asked questions to which the Secretary-General responded very briefly. Bosnia Herzegovina also made a comment.
To read a UN News article on the presentation of the report: Click here
See the President of the GA's controversial concept note on RtoP distributed to States the friday prior to the date.
II. Informal Interactive Dialogue
23 July 2009
10:00am Trusteeship Council
On 23 July 2009, the General Assembly debate on the Responsibility to Protect was preceeded by an Informal interactive dialogue on the Responsibility to Protect in the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Following the statement by the President of the General Assembly and the statement by the representative of the Secretary-General, Edward Luck, Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect, the Panel discussion began. Professor Gareth Evans, Prof Noam Chomsky presented their statements and answered a round of questions from member states before Prof Jean Bricmont and Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o shared their views. It was followed by another round of questions from member states.
