Abstract

Since the origin of international law, the dichotomy between state sovereignty and human rights has prioritized non-interference at the cost of millions of innocent lives. The devastating reality of the Rwandan Genocide forced states to reconsider this commitment, and prompted normative deliberations about if, when, and how to intervene in such emergencies. This catalyzed the establishment of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a norm which promised to end the perpetuation of mass atrocity crimes through prevention, intervention, and rebuilding. Twenty-three years after R2P ’s inception, large-scale human rights violations continue to persist in regions such as Palestine, Sudan, and the DRC , raising the question: how effective is R2P in preventing and responding to humanitarian crises? Through the assessment of R2P ’s role in Syria, Libya, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burundi, this seminar sheds light on the strengths and weaknesses of the Responsibility to Protect in the 21st century, and international law’s ability to address mass atrocity crimes.