Safeguarding Civilians: Delivering on the responsibility to protect in Africa

Article

In September 2005, at a meeting of the United Nations in New York, the world's leaders endorsed an international 'responsibility to protect': an obligation to act to protect civilians in the face of war crimes or genocide, where the government locally is perpetrating these abuses itself or is unable or unwilling to stop them.

In September 2005, at a meeting of the United Nations in New York, the world's leaders endorsed an international 'responsibility to protect': an obligation to act to protect civilians in the face of war crimes or genocide, where the government locally is perpetrating these abuses itself or is unable or unwilling to stop them.

Although there has been some real progress over the last six years in building support for this idea of a responsibility to protect, there is still a large gap between normative commitments endorsed at UN meetings and the actual practice of governments faced with instances of war crimes.

Indeed, the central challenge today in respect of the responsibility to protect is not normative but operational: how to actually protect civilians from mass killing, war crimes and genocide. That is the focus of this ippr report.

Related items

  1. A young woman with a long ponytail sits looking out of a bus window

    State of the North 2025 - The kids aren't alright: How to deliver for young people in the North

    This year’s State of the North report highlights how regional inequality exacerbates the growing challenges facing many young northerners. 
  2. An illustration of an ideal public transport system: a smiling family cross a road near a green bus with houses and trees in the background

    The transport challenge for low-income households

    Many people living on low incomes in the UK are limited in their ability to access the building blocks of a good life because of poor transport provision.

  3. Towards universal opportunity for young people

    Outlining a vision for young people which could increase social mobility while also reducing inequality and disadvantage, so that every young person has the opportunity to build a decent life.