Preventing atrocities

The Rohingya in Myanmar, the Uyghurs in China, and the Yazidi in Iraq – the last few years have seen a dramatic resurgence of violent atrocities across the world. Such crimes generate massive human suffering, with an enormous global impact. After the Holocaust of the Second World War, we promised ‘Never again’. Cristina G. Stefan asks, what does it take for the world to act together to stop such atrocities? For that same promise not to be uttered again – and again, and again?

We each carry with us our own individual responsibility to protect.

—Dr Cristina Stefan

Impact

• Policy impact: co-founded the European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (ECR2P), adding research capacity to support and critique those discussing this most urgent global challenge
• Partnership for knowledge exchange: secondment with the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect
• Collaboration: launched the ‘Women Network on the Responsibility to Protect, Peace and Security’, with the support of the British Academy

Key information

• Major funders: Research England
• Partners and collaborators: Protection Approaches, UNA-UK, Aegis Trust
• Disciplines: international relations, global governance, peace and conflict
• Investigators: Dr Cristina G Stefan

Keywords: human protection, defence, UN, health and wellbeing, politics, geopolitics, foreign affairs