Background:
Beginning in September 2007, the World Federalist Movement Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) embarked on a new initiative: to build a global civil society network for the Responsibility to Protect. The initiative, supported by Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Oxfam International and Refugees International, aimed to establish a global network with representation from both Northern and Southern NGOs. The R2PCS Project organized a series of consultative roundtables with NGOs worldwide, to 1) increase understanding of R2P and how it applies to conflicts in the region, 2) explore how to strengthen regional and international mechanisms to support R2P, and 3) forge partnerships with NGOs who are interested in joining in a core group in building an NGO network.
Latin American Perspectives, March 31-April 1: Buenos Aires, Argentina
"Dialogue on the Responsibility to Protect: Latin American Perspectives"
R2PCS partnered with La Coordinadora Regional de Investigaciones Econmicas y Sociales (CRIES) and Consejo Argentino de Relaciones Internacionales (CARI) to organize this two day consultation.
On the first day, Dr. Rodrguez Giavarini, President of CARI and former Argentina Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed participants and presented the origins of the Responsibility to Protect. He explained that the debates around intervention in Latin America have up until now been concentrated in the academic realm. He welcomed civil society consultations on R2P in the region, and calls R2P a tool to fill the gap between non-intervention and non-indifference. A keynote address was given by Mr. Francis Deng, Special advisor to the UN on the Prevention of Genocide. His expertise as former Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons, at the Brookings Institute specializing on conflict in Africa and his current role as Special Advisor instructed his comments on the importance of R2P and challenges facing the agenda. Importantly, Under Secretary-General Deng made a special request to civil society groups, calling on them to provide direct information to his office on where and when crimes are occurring.
Many participants were surprised to hear that governments from Latin America, especially Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Guatemala had exerted such crucial influence during the World Summit Outcome negotiations by strongly supporting the emerging norm and influencing others to do so. Second day discussions showed strong support for a holistic approach to R2P; many organizations supporting the range of prevention, reaction and rebuilding spectrum. Participants expressed a preference for an emphasis on the prevention aspect on the norm, rather than on the military intervention component. There was also a provocative discussion how R2P may relate to certain situations in the region, such as Colombia, Haiti and violence against indigenous peoples. Contributions to the two days were informative, substantive and will help shape future discussions on this topic in the region and worldwide.
Recommendations:
- Make R2P more tangible by providing concrete examples of cases where it would have been useful within the region.
- Link work on conflict prevention with work on the promotion of R2P.
- Raise awareness about R2P among governments and the general public, working with other allies such as public universities; given the misunderstanding that some people have, it will be important to be very precise about what the concept is and what its limits are.
- Emphasize efforts to conceptualize the norm or analyze specific cases before carrying out direct action. Also, work to identify actions that governments and multilateral organizations could take as prevention, reaction and rebuilding.
- Establish links with organizations in Colombia to carry out an analysis of the applicability of R2P in the country.
- Advocacy message: the absence of a norm such as R2P favors the current situation of unilateral or illegal interventions rather than multilateral assistance.
- Consider having a debate/discussion about the operationalization of R2P in Colombia, Jorge Rojas of CODHES offered to host such a discussion.
- Find ways to incorporate work on R2P in existing platforms rather than establish a new network in the region.
Immediate Next Steps:
Translate the R2P brochure into Spanish.
Identify groups to serve as focal points in the region and as interlocutors with OAS and other inter-governmental organizations; groups who might want to participate thematically, where they can make the best contribution; and groups who want to work on specific situations or case studies like Burma, Colombia, etc.
Reports and Agenda:
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