by Dilrukshi Handunnetti

Madeline Albright – pic: Courtesy of World Economic Forum

A report co-authored by the former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, and former Presidential Special Envoy to Sudan, Richard S. Williamson, has urged the United States to strengthen its work in implementing the doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), and critiqued the international reaction to Sri Lanka during the final stages of the conflict.

The report released on Monday (22) at a symposium titled ‘The United States and R2P: From Words to Action’ at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, noted the international community held a ‘mixed track record’ when applying the principle when mass violence was likely to take place.

Referring to Sri Lanka it said: “Despite the high number of civilian casualties, the international community did little beyond issuing statements of concern. The UN Security Council, High Commission on Human Rights, and the General Assembly held no formal sessions on Sri Lanka during this period. In Sri Lanka, both the government and the rebels can be faulted for failing to protect civilians.

No timely action

“However, the international community also neglected its responsibility to take timely action when it was apparent that violations of humanitarian law were taking place. “The case of Sri Lanka exemplifies a challenge for implementing R2P when sovereign governments confront an internal threat from a group that is designated as a terrorist organization.

“Since the end of the conflict, the government has steadfastly denied that the mass killing of civilians and war crimes took place. While launching its own inquiry into the military’s actions, the government has obstructed international efforts to investigate potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. Critics question the independence and balance of the government commission’s report and argue that accountability requires a more credible investigation.”

The report cautioned: “If a recurrence of conflict in Sri Lanka is to be prevented, the international community should help the government respond to the needs of all communities in the country, while undertaking a national reconciliation process that addresses wounds inflicted during nearly three decades of conflict.”

The Albright-Williamson report also noted, all too often, the promise of R2P has been more noteworthy in its breach than in the honouring of commitments. “Despite the lofty ambitions of its framers, the crimes R2P was intended to prevent have continued at a shocking pace in the last few years, not only in Syria but also in such diverse places as Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, the DRC, and Sudan. Our working group was asked to take a hardheaded look at how well R2P has worked in practice, how it might be better implemented, and whether concrete recommendations might strengthen this emerging international norm. It has also sought to better explain R2P to a war-weary US public that has frequently misunderstood the concept as a limitless licence for military intervention.”

Legacy of int’l response

Apart from Sri Lanka, the report took a critical look at the legacy of the international response in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Syria, Libya and Cote d’Ivoire.

The report is the culmination of work done over two years by the Working Group on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a joint project of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Brookings Institution, and the United States Institute of Peace.

According to US State Department sources, among the key highlights is the role of the US in developing R2P as a meaningful tool in demanding accountability from governments and safeguarding civilian populations. It further recommends in what ways the US policymakers should strengthen and use R2P more effectively.

According to the UN Charter, the doctrine of R2P has three pillars – namely it is the responsibility of every State to protect its citizens from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity; that the international community has a responsibility to assist and encourage the State in fulfilling its obligations to protect citizens; and if a State fails to protect its population or ends up as the perpetrator of such crimes, the international community should be prepared to take collective action in a timely and decisive manner.

“Sixty-eight years after the Holocaust, governments continue to struggle with how to prevent genocide and mass atrocities,” Co-authors Albright and Williamson told the symposium and were quoted in the US media. “In the United States, both Republican and Democratic administrations have agreed that is in our national interests to do so. We hope that our efforts to shed light on the Responsibility to Protect as a mechanism for protecting civilians from future harm will provide our government with additional means to help prevent the world’s worst crimes.”

Adopting policies

“If the R2P doctrine can do anything, it is to help move us away from a policy of indifference and waiting for the worst, and more aggressively toward adopting policies that prevent atrocities before they begin,” Ambassador Williamson said, at the symposium.

Key recommendations urge the US Government should:

5. Expand its policy of positive engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC)

“We hope that our recommendations will enhance America’s ability to provide global leadership for the prevention of mass atrocities, and advance the collective capacity and will of the international community to fulfill its obligations under the Responsibility to Protect,” Albright was quoted as having said.

World leaders unanimously adopted the R2P doctrine as part of the 2005 United Nations World Summit outcome document.

The Working Group on R2P comprises former senior US government officials, academics, foreign policy experts, political analysts, NGO leaders and media
professionals.

COURTESY:CEYLON TODAY