The Responsibility to Protect:
Recognizing the failure to adequately respond to the most heinous crimes known to humankind, world leaders made a commitment to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity at the United Nations (UN) 2005 World Summit. This commitment, entitled the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP), stipulates that
1. The State carries the primary responsibility for the protection of populations from mass atrocities.
2. The international community has a responsibility to assist States in fulfilling this responsibility.
3. The international community should use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means to protect populations from these crimes. If a State fails to protect its populations or is in fact the perpetrator of crimes, the international community must be prepared to take stronger measures, including the collective use of force through the UN Security Council.

Background:
The World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy launched the project, Responsibility to Protect-Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS) in 2003 to build support and acceptance for the Responsibility to Protect. R2PCS has since evolved and in January 2009 the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP) was established.

“The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect is a global network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dedicated to advancing RtoP at the international, regional, sub-regional and national levels.”

ICRtoP was founded by representatives from eight regional and international NGOs. The Coalition brings together NGOs from all regions of the world to work to achieve the following five goals:
1. Increase awareness of RtoP among governments, NGOs and the public.
2. Push for international, regional, subregional and national endorsements of RtoP.
3. Encourage governments, regional and sub-regional organizations and the UN to build the capacity to prevent and halt genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
4. Help build and strengthen global support from governments for RtofP.
5. Mobilize NGOs to push for action to save lives in RtoP country-specific situations.

Coalition Updates:
For further information on RtoP and the latest work by the Coalition please visit ICRtoP's Website. You may also join us on Facebook and subscribe to the the ICRtoP listserv.