Seminar on protection in June

Denmark’s new Humanitarian Strategy and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

Speakers
State Secretary for Development Policy, Ib Petersen, opened the seminar by speaking on “Denmark’s new humanitarian strategy and efforts in the area of protection”.

The theme R2P was introduced by Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General, Edward Luck as key note speaker: “How Member States can take the concept of Right to Protection (R2P) forward (based on a report from the Secretary General)”.

In the Space2Debate session, prominent experts debated how Denmark could contribute to moving R2P from theory to practice. The debaters included Gareth Evans, President for ICG and a prominent international player and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General, Edward Luck. Other speakers and experts in the field of protection and the R2P were Dennis McNamara, Center for Humanitarian Dialogue and Marieke Wierda, International Center for Transitional Justice.

Peter Tygesen, Journalist and Author interviewed the key note speakers and facilitated the space2debate. Peter Tygesen had in collaboration with Christina Dahl Jensen from Networking consultants prepared an issue paper on Protection of Civilians for the event which is available here on the website.

Key questions for the Space2Debate were:

1. What are the immediate obstacles to further the implementation of the R2P principle?
2. What are the limits to the use of the R2P principles?
3. Who will be the prime movers of furthering the implementation of the R2P principle?
4. What can Denmark do to further the implementation of the R2P principle?

Background
The Strategy for Danish Humanitarian Action is undergoing revision and the new strategy is expected to be launched in August/September 2009. The draft strategy has been in public hearing and is about to be send to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament for their comments.

As part of the strategy process, a half-day seminar on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) will take place in Parliament on 12 June 2009. The seminar will focus on Protection of Civilians and the concept of R2P. Protection is one of three priority themes of the new Danish strategy with a special focus on gender based violence and children in conflict, as well as access and safety of humanitarian personnel. In lack of security and safe working conditions for relief workers, it becomes more complex and challenging to protect civilians.

Further, in January 2009 the UN Secretary General issued a report on the operationalisation of the 2005 World Summit-resolution on ”Responsibility to protect” (R2P). The UN General Assembly will debate the content of the said report as well as options for realising its intentions by end June or the beginning of July this year.

As a normative standard R2P establishes that:

1. national governments have the responsibility to protect the population against violation of masses (genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crime and crimes against humanity)
2. the international community is obliged to support governments to this effect; as well as to
3. ensure protection of civilians, if the nation state is not in a position to do it.

While taking its point of entry in the new Strategy for Danish Humanitarian Action, the seminar will form a platform for a debate amongst Danish stakeholders and actors on how best to promote protection of civilians and security for relief workers – and in the bigger picture how Denmark as a UN member state can contribute to an operationalisation of R2P.

Purpose
The overall purpose of the seminar was:
1. to contribute to the Danish political debate on R2P
2. to inform the Danish public about the new humanitarian strategy and how Protection of civilians is an important priority theme for Danish Humanitarian Action

Find photos from the event here