General Assembly Holds Dialogue on the Responsibility to Protect

Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson addresses the Assembly during today's informal interactive dialogue on the report of the Secretary-General on the responsibility to protect. Sometimes referred to as 'R2P,' the principle of the responsibility to protect holds States responsible for shielding their own populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and related crimes against humanity and requires the international community to step in if this obligation is not met.