Justice in Response to Violations (DP IB Global Politics: HL): Revision Note

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

• The Responsibility to Protect doctrine (R2P) is a UN attempt to establish a global norm that interference can occur in cases of extreme human rights atrocities

  • Traditional notions of state sovereignty prevent the global community from interfering if states are mistreating their citizens

  • Modern norms regarding sovereignty include the idea that states have a responsibility to protect the well-being of their citizens

Three pillars of R2P

• Pillar 3 is the most controversial

  • It violates traditional notions of state sovereignty

  • Intervention requires the use of force and will likely cause death and destruction, which is in opposition to the principles of the UN Charter

  • Intervention can cause more harm than good in the long term

    • NGO Doctors Without Borders has criticised R2P as a political tool used by powerful states to invade and control weaker states

    • R2P was disastrous in Libya leaving the state in a fragile condition and failing to secure the human rights of its citizens

Responses to violations at all levels of politics

• Multiple actors in global politics respond to human rights and try to bring justice to those who are affected

  • These actors can be found from local to international levels

  • Ultimately the cooperation of the state is needed

• The actor most capable of responding to violations and providing justice is the state

Intergovernmental organisation (IGO) responses

• IGOs can 

  • Pressure states to end violations and provide justice 

  • The UN can use R2P in extreme situations to end atrocities

  • Encourage states to codify laws such as the Rome Statute to ensure justice

  • Condemn the actions of states globally

Non-government organisation (NGO) responses

• Non-government organisations can investigate and report on human rights violations to bring awareness and shame states, transnational corporations and other actors

  • Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch publish annual reports detailing all human rights abuses taking place globally

  • Social media is used to educate people about violations of human rights globally

• Although NGOs can spread awareness and, in some cases, help victims, they rely on the cooperation of state actors to respond to violations and provide justice

Other non-state actor responses

• Social movements and resistance movements, private actors and civil society can demand their governments respond to violations with justice

  • Again, this is dependent on the cooperation of the state

The ICC