Responsibility to Protect

The international community bears a duty to safeguard populations from severe harm—such as from civil war, insurgency, repression, or state collapse—when the state in question fails or refuses to act. This duty includes preventing crises by tackling root causes, responding with measures ranging from sanctions to military intervention, and rebuilding after intervention through recovery and reconciliation. Rooted in state sovereignty obligations, UN Charter Article 24, human rights law, and evolving state practice, the concept remains under debate and has not been formally adopted by the UN.