Professor Jennifer Welsh discusses the meaning of Responsibility to Protect
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Professor Jennifer Welsh appeared on the BBC World Service programme The Forum on 28 May, and was asked to comment on what was really meant by the phrase Responsibility to Protect in an international context.
Jennifer pointed out that what it does not mean is a new legal responsibility. Its effectively a political commitment on the part of states, as articulated in 2005 at the Anniversary Summit of the United Nations, she added, (to) protect ones own population from mass atrocity crimes, but also, when national governments manifestly fail to do so, theres a responsibility that falls on the international community to do so.
