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The Legitimacy of “Responsibility to Protect” (R2p) in International Relations: A Conceptual Review

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Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a new concept in international relations which can be defined as an intervention in a state by the international community (preferably through the UN) for the prevention of genocide, ethnic cleansing, mass killings and human rights violations taking place, in a country which is unwilling (or unable) to stop it. The obligation then falls on the wider international community to take whatever action is necessary to prevent it. The concept formed 20 years ago after it was floated in the 1980s, initiated by Gareth Evans and finally endorsed by Kofi Annan in the 1990s, before being adopted as a concept by the UN’s World Leader’s Summit in 2005. This paper systematically reviews and examines the legitimacy of the concept and its coexistence within the framework of international relations. The study reveals that the concept of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is morally sound and accepted by the international community, but difficult to implement. R2P concept is a challenge for public society and the broader peace movement. It is suggested that for countries that are caught in a vicious circle chaos and anarchy, there is a need to implement the R2P to overcome their problems and save the civilian population.
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In-Text Citation: (Salleh & Duguri, 2019)
To Cite this Article: Salleh, M. A., & Duguri, U. S. (2019). The Legitimacy of “Responsibility to Protect” (R2p) in International Relations: A Conceptual Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(3), 401–410.