Chomsky says RTP (Responsibility to Protect) won’t be possible as long as imperial nations maintain control

World leaders gathered at the Untied Nations this week to attend a General Assembly organized thematic debate on RTP (Responsibility to Protect or “R2P”). R2p is a new  human rights norm set up to address the international community’s failure to prevent and stop genocides, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.  RTP relates to a state’s responsibilities towards its population and to the international community’s responsibility in case a state fails to follow up on investigating and prosecuting a crime.

The debate, held at the Trusteeship Council this week in New York,  was a charged environment from the introduction. Many countries do no agree with the current veto powers of the Security Council and others voiced concern on how an agreed framework could be provided to set up a legal and ethical basis for humanitarian intervention. Direct failures by the United Nations, in a state that was unwilling or unable to prevent or stop genocide, massive killings and other massive human rights violations like Sudan, Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo were highlighted.

Supporters of R2P want the establishment of a normative basis for humanitarian intervention while opponents say justifying external breaches of state sovereignty encourages foreign aggression by stronger nations. Some dignitaries accused other participants of “living in a paper world, while they lived in a real world”.

The UN Charter was underscored as the universal standard by which nations should be operating.

Professor Noam Chomsky, said he hoped the UN well but “every use of force, has been justified, even from the worst monsters.”

Participants included Noam Chomsky, Gareth Evans former Foreign Minister of Australia, and Professors Jean Bricmont of Belgium and Ngugi wa Thiong’o from Kenya.

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon, issued a report early this year on implementing RTP.

A link to the report: http://www.responsibilitytoprotect.org/index.php/publications/core-rtop-documents

 

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