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Home » Events » Seminar on the Responsibility to Protect in regard to Human Rights

Seminar on the Responsibility to Protect in regard to Human Rights

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Public event: Tuesday, 17 April 2012, 9.00-12.45
IDEA, Wallingatan 2, Stockholm

The Harald Edelstam Foundation together with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation is arranging a seminar on the theme “Responsibility to Protect”. It is a political/legal term created at the turn of the century to define the duty of the international community to act in prevention of genocide and other egregious abuses when domestic authorities collapse or fail to respect and ensure fundamental human rights. In humanitarian emergencies, passivity is not an option.

Action in the field in hostile environments, however, is a privilege of a few, because exceptional courage is required. In extreme situations of widespread human suffering and persecution, those who are willing to risk themselves on behalf of others, not only save lives, but most importantly preserve for all of us the essential value of human dignity, indispensable for our lives being worth living. Harald Edelstam is one of these few exceptions. In every situation in which he was confronted, he had the option of using his diplomatic immunity for saving himself, or the choice of acting to protect others in imminent danger. He decided to act, whatever the price. His generosity left us a legacy of coherence and responsibility, a reference for our collective duty to act in protection of defenseless people who are the victims of serious abuses.

The concept of responsibility to protect has been politically misused and abused in recent times. Supporting the concept’ original meaning, i.e. international commitment for effective human rights protection, peace and civilization, multilateral diplomacy, peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and negotiation, institutional strengthening of the rule of law, transparency and accountability, is probably the best tribute we can offer to the memory of Harald Edelstam.

The seminar is free of charge and is arranged by the Harald Edelstam Foundation in co-operation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation. IDEA is kindly hosting the seminar.

Download invitation with detailed program

Please register via e-mail to: no later than the 15th of April.

Published: April 10, 2012 | Posted in Events, Public events | 2 Comments
  • Mohan K. Tikku

    It is good to know that DHF is organising a seminar on the Right to Protect. It is a sad fact that the R2P has often been used by different governments as an extension of foreign policy rather than as a universally observable principle. Hence, its selective use for national strategic reasons.

    I wish your seminar does also focus on why the Right to Protect principle was not invoked in case of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka which ended in 2009.

    There certainly was an element of hypocrisy in the international community’s sense of outrage displayed through a resolution at the recent recent UNHRC meeting in Geneva. Having failed to act in Sri Lanka when it could have made a difference, the international community was simply trying to establish its supposedly moral high ground after the damage had been done.

    I hope your seminar helps focus on these aspects of the Right to Protect principle, and so wish you all successes.

    Regards.

    mohan

    Mohan K. Tikku
    Journalist / Writer
    145 -National Media Centre
    Gurgaon – 122002
    INDIA

  • ABASS ATIM

    its essential the value of the human dignity as human else where to protect form these violation.the United Nations organizations related to human rights are failed to interpret and enforce the provisions that prevent such violatiion.the world nations too worry for this because the rules without application and enforcement sene that regardless. Further more for example what happen in Darfur Region -Sudan its very shaky and doubtful that inspite international criminal court did the best according to refer this issue before the UN Security Council.the Court according to its mandate made investigation about crime committed in the Region such as genocide crimes,crimes against hummanity and eshnic cleensing and made orders to arrest these offenders but the result still the same people continuing to commit these crime and they challenge the world community and the UN and they have said we are above the law else what by the media .the world watch these people killing ,rapped and deprivation less basic fundamental rights.But criminal are singing and dancing but children and their mothers cry.however the type of these seminars may be the key to find measures that can be replace this gap .My suggetion to add the  case of Darfur as example for the seminar. hopfully to the successful outcome.

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