10 March 2010
























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The President of the General Assembly Confirms Dates for the Long Awaited GA Discussion on RtoP

New York, 17 July 2009 – President of the UN General Assembly Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann has finally confirmed the dates for both the informal GA discussion and plenary session on the Secretary-General’s January report entitled “Implementing Responsibility to Protect”. According to his letter, the SG will brief Member States on the report on 21 July, followed by the plenary meeting which will start on 23 July and will likely run into 24 July.

The debate marks a pivotal moment for RtoP, as it is the first opportunity, since it was officially adopted at the 2005 World Summit, for all Member States of the UN to come together to advance RtoP from a concept on paper to a norm. The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect, among the numerous civil society advocates for the RtoP, has been actively engaged in its promotion in the context of the forthcoming GA debate on SG’s report.

Prior to the SG’s briefing, the ICRtoP is planning to hold a Dialogue with Civil Society groups on July 20. Jacqueline Murekatete, human rights activist and genocide survivor, Edward  Luck, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect, Dismas Nkunda a member of the ICRtoP’s steering committee from Uganda, and Nicola Reindorp from the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect  will be among the panel group.

Engagement of Civil Society Groups and ICRtoP

The Secretary-General’s report “Implementing Responsibility to Protect” not only reaffirms paragraphs 138 and 139 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document which states that governments have the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity but most importantly offers a framework for States and organizations to implement the norm (Resolution 60/L.1). It calls on Member States and the General Assembly to “define its “continuing consideration” role of the RtoP as mandated in paragraph 139 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome”. (See Latest Development as of 13 February for the detailed summary of the SG report).

To ensure that governments express their support for the RtoP and commit to implementing the norm, civil society organizations have been involved in advocacy and outreach at the UN and in capitals to mobilize relevant actors and help prepare for a constructive debate.

To do so, the ICRtoP has circulated letters to capitals across the globe on 24 April and more recently on July 2. The ICRtoP and the numerous NGOs (about 39) that co-signed the latest letter are requesting governmental officials to: 

  • emphasize that RtoP norm applies only to genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity;

  • remind that prevention is a critical component of the RtoP, and in situations when States fail, “the international community is prepared to take stronger measures including Chapter VII measures under the UN Charter, including but not limited to the collective use of force authorized by the Security Council”.

  • recognize “that RtoP is derived from the positive notion of ‘sovereignty as responsibility”. Therefore, “the concept does not undermine but enhances sovereignty by acknowledging that governments have existing humanitarian, human rights and other obligations under international law to protect populations from genocide”

  • stress that RtoP’s framework, a wide range of prevention and protection measures, should not be interpreted as a humanitarian assistance or “as a synonym for military intervention”

  • express their support to the “Three Pillar approach” as described in the SG’s report, which “emphasizes pillars of equal length, strength and viability and that there is no set sequence to be followed from one pillar to another”.

  • elaborate how the government intends to adopt national, regional and international capacities and policies critical to the implementation of RtoP (with the consideration of the three-pillar approach)

 

The Cooperation of Civil Society Groups Around the World

In the past few months, the Coalition and its partners held press conferences in Ghana (March  2009), Tanzania (March 2009) and Mali (April 2009) in advance of the debate, including during the East Africa Civil Society Forum in Tanzania (March 2009),  

The latest Press Conference in Mali held on April 15, was co-organized by the Coalition and partners African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) and People’s Movement for Human Rights Education (PDHRE/DEDH). The goal of the conference “was to inform the media and civil society about the RtoP norm and the upcoming debate and to press decision-makers and public opinion in Mali to support the implementation of the norm based on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s January 2009 report”.

The press conferences were part of the ICRtoP’s efforts to raise awareness of the report of the Secretary-General. The participants of the conferences were reminded that “RtoP applied specifically to genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity and that the norm lies on three pillars, namely 1) the protection responsibilities of the state, 2) international assistance and capacity building, and 3) timely and decisive response to prevent and halt genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

Next Steps

July 22 –UN Press conference at 11am organized by the Global Centre for R2P will include Gareth Evens, a key architect of RtoP and former Australian foreign minister, and Juan Mendez, former Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, Jacqueline Murekatete, Fellow, Miracle Corners of the World and Program Director, Jacqueline's Human Rights Corner and Thelma Ekiyor, Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute  

  • July 23- Morning thematic debate “that consist of an introductory segment, followed by a panel bringing together key voices in the international debate on the responsibility to protect”. A plenary meeting of the GA Assembly will take place in the afternoon of the same day. The debate will be probably continued on July 24.

More information on RtoP and upcoming events can be found on the ICRtoP website www.responsibilitytoprotect.org. 

 

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