What is the Right to Protect?



Often times debate motions ask us to consider whether a country should intervene in a humanitarian crisis. Some examples include:

This House would intervene in South Sudan.

This House would intervene in Syria.

This House would intervene in Venezuela.

This House would intervene in Myanmar.

All are topics that you should consider and think about benefits/cons to intervention. However, some of the legal justification that surrounds intervention could help you formulate your argument. Below is a bit of background provided under the right to protect legal principles.

Background: 
  • Following events like Somalia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Srebrenica, and others, it is clear that the international community requires tools to think about international relations and how to intervene and when to intervene in conflicts. 
  • The authority of the state over its citizen's is not absolute. 
  • Sovereignty is not merely about control it is also about responsibility. 
  • Elements of the responsibility to protect: 
    • prevention is the most important aspect of R2P
    • For effective prevention, individuals require an early warning of the conflict....this requires increase the burden on fact finding missions from the UN.
    • The international community should target actions at the root causes of the conflict, including
      • political needs (democratic building, press freedom and rule of law)
      • economic needs (develop assistance, redistribution of resources, economic)
      • legal protections (strengthening rule of law) 
      • military reform (increased education and training, increasing civilian control) 
    • The international community should always strive to use other tools aside from intervention first in order to protect individuals in grave humanitarian situations 
    • If intervention is the last resort, then the following criteria must be met 
      • right intention 
      • last resort
      • proportional means 
      • right authority
      • reasonable prospects 
  • Following intervention, the international community has a responsibility to help rebuild the nation following intervention. 
    • security -- must provide basic security measures, including disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and rebuilding of new national armed forces and police
    • Justice and reconciliation -- make arrangements for justice 
    • development 
    • local ownership 
Link to America's Cup Topic TH would use military troops in Syria. Click Here

Additional Resources: 


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