The Responsibility to Protect

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is an international principle that emphasizes the obligation of governments and the global community to prevent and respond to serious human rights violations, such as genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. It holds that sovereignty includes responsibilities, and when a nation fails to protect its citizens or commits such atrocities, the international community has a duty to step in—diplomatically, culturally, or militarily if necessary—to protect those populations. Essentially, R2P aims to balance respect for sovereignty with the urgent need to prevent mass suffering.