Recently, the world saw horrific evil take place in Paris. There, the genocidal group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) committed numerous terrorist acts that claimed the lives of more than 130 civilians. We all have a duty to remember that the rise of ISIS is a perfect example of what can happen when we fail to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine.
R2P is a commitment adopted by all countries unanimously at the 2005 UN World Summit. Crucially, it redefined the notion of state sovereignty. No longer would sovereignty be an inviolable license to do whatever one wishes within one’s own borders. Rather, it became a responsibility to protect one’s population from mass atrocities (i.e., war crimes, genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity).