18 October 2013 was a red letter day for global women’s rights, revolutionizing the situation of women in conflict prevention, conflict & post-conflict situations.
R2P contains glaring theoretical drawbacks and its practice by Western powers creates the scope for a mix up of humanitarian concerns with their strategic interests.
The Syrian crisis marks the beginning of a new era of multi-polarity; one which will be characterised by the spectacle of divisive and competitive power politics.
The largest obstacles to consistent implementation and enforcement of R2P remain its flawed epistemological foundations and the enduring nature of the international system.
The human suffering in the Syrian crisis since February 2011 is, above all, a tragedy for the Syrian people, but also demonstrably a crisis of international intervention.
Regional dynamics have played a critical role in the response to the civil war in Syria. They will continue to dominate attempts to move forward with a political solution.
To some, the international response to the Syrian crisis has meant the end of the R2P. But the lack of intervention in Syria teaches us little about the intervention norm.
After a failure to fulfil R2P obligations, there remains a ‘Responsibility After Not Protecting’. The value of this concept can be seen in the example of Sri Lanka.
Syria has thrown up challenges, but not thrown out the R2P. There is an interest in clarifying the norm to prevent misuse but no demand to rescind the norm.
The response to the Syria crisis shames the international community. But it does not mean that we have heard the death knell of the responsibility to protect.
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