Media release
25 September 2008
Supporting the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Principle
At a meeting on the emerging international law doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York today, I outlined details of a $2 million Responsibility to Protect Fund.
The fund, which will be managed by AusAID, will be open to competitive applications from institutions, academia and non-government organisations to advance the Responsibility to Protect concept and support states to build capacity to protect civilians.
Under the R2P principle, states are responsible for the protection of their own civilians from grave mass crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity.
The principle also requires the international community to use diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means to help protect populations; and to take collective action, authorised by the UN Security Council, if other means fail.
Australia is committed to making the R2P principle central to international efforts on conflict prevention and resolution. I have been encouraged by progress shown in work underway within the United Nations on ways of putting the R2P principle into practice.
Australia’s support will assist in developing an important body of project and research work that will materially contribute to making R2P a reliable factor in international crisis handling.
The R2P principle was strongly endorsed by world leaders at the UN World Summit in 2005. The Security Council also endorsed the principle in Resolution 1674 (2006) on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.
The Australian Government is also providing support to the Global Centre for R2P in New York.
Media inquiries
- Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500
- Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555