Abstract
Progressing from institutionalization to practice less than 6 years after its endorsement at the 2005 World Summit, the responsibility to protect (R2P) is a rising norm in international relations. This chapter uses the constructivist theoretical framework of Finnemore and Sikkink (International Organization 52(4):887–917, 1998) to determine which stage R2P has reached on the scale of international norm dynamics. The research is driven by an analysis of the political discourse held by the permanent members of the Security Council (P5) on R2P. This analysis results in a classification of the support brought to R2P by the P5 according to three distinct categories: strong supporters, cautious supporters, and rejectionists. While strong supporters advocate R2P in principle and practice, cautious supporters and rejectionists do not consider R2P as the standard procedure to protect civilians from crimes against humanity. This chapter argues that Russia and China are cautious supporters of R2P, as they oppose the norm’s implementation for conceptual reasons. Russian and Chinese concerns about R2P undermining core principles of the UN Charter result in the absence of consensus on the norm’s implementation within the Security Council. Acknowledging that this situation reduces the prospects of R2P implementation, analysis reveals that the norm has not reached the stage of internalization and is confined to the stage of norm cascade.
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Further Readings
Acharya, A. (2013). The R2P and norm diffusion: Towards a framework of norm circulation. Global Responsibility to Protect, 5(1), 466–479.
Brockmeier, S., Stuenkel, O., & Tourinho, M. (2016). The impact of the Libya intervention debates on norms of protection. Global Society, 30(1), 113–133.
Kurz, G., & Rotmann, P. (2016). The evolution of norms of protection: Major powers debate the responsibility to protect. Global Society, 30(1), 3–20.
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∗Please note that the respective statements issued by the United Kingdom, France, the United States, the Russian Federation, and the People’s Republic of China cited in this chapter are accessible at: http://www.responsibilitytoprotect.org/index.php/about-rtop/government-statements-on-rtop.
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Speiser, J. (2020). The International Norm Dynamics of Responsibility to Protect. In: Hosli, M.O., Selleslaghs, J. (eds) The Changing Global Order. United Nations University Series on Regionalism, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21603-0_19
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