THE HOLOCAUST AND THE UNITED NATIONS OUTREACH PROGRAMME
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132<br />
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme<br />
there are grounds for optimism. We know from recent experience<br />
that the collective weight of the international community can make<br />
a difference.<br />
It is within this broader context that the responsibility to protect urges<br />
the international community not to retreat into cynicism or paralysis<br />
in the face of seemingly intractable crises. We cannot conclude that<br />
the means to prevent and halt genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing<br />
and crimes against humanity are beyond our grasp. The challenges<br />
of atrocity crimes may be daunting and the human cost staggering,<br />
but these are reasons to renew our determination and urgently accelerate<br />
implementation of the responsibility to protect.<br />
(1) <br />
We use the term “atrocity crimes” exclusively to refer to the four acts specified in<br />
paragraph 138 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome. Genocide, war crimes and crimes<br />
against humanity are defined in international criminal law; ethnic cleansing, while not<br />
established as a distinct crime, includes acts that will regularly amount to one of the<br />
crimes, in particular genocide and crimes against humanity.<br />
(2)<br />
See, especially, Security Council resolutions 2150 (2014) and 2171 (2014).<br />
(3) ACHPR/Res.117<br />
(XXXXII) 07: Resolution on Strengthening the Responsibility to<br />
Protect in Africa.<br />
(4) A7-0130/2013,<br />
European Parliament recommendation to the Council on the UN<br />
principle of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (‘R2P’).<br />
(5) Remarks<br />
to General Assembly Informal Interactive Dialogue on “A vital and enduring<br />
commitment: Implementing the responsibility to protect,” 8 September 2015,<br />
http:.//statements.unmeetings.org/media2/7651075/sg.pdf.<br />
(6) A/RES/60/1,<br />
paragraph 138.<br />
(7) Ibid, paragraph 139.<br />
(8) Report<br />
of the Secretary-General on implementing the responsibility to protect<br />
(A/63/677).<br />
(9) Report<br />
of the Secretary-General on responsibility to protect: state responsibility<br />
and prevention (A/67/929).<br />
(10) Report<br />
of the Secretary-General on fulfilling our collective responsibility: international<br />
assistance and the responsibility to protect (A/68/947).<br />
(11) Report<br />
of the Secretary-General on responsibility to protect: timely and decisive<br />
response (A/66/874).<br />
(12) Report<br />
of the Secretary-General on a vital and enduring commitment: implementing<br />
the responsibility to protect (A/69/981).<br />
(13) For<br />
additional detail, see http://www.globalr2p.org/our_work/r2p_focal_points.
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