Framework for Action

The Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect together with the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect in July 2023  published A Framework for Action for the Responsibility to Protect: A Resource for States.

Essentailly its readily accessible resource for States that sets out in one place what practical actions governments should be expected to undertake to honour their responsibility to protect. It examines implementation, or 'operationalisation'.  In other words, on what States can actually do, domestically and in their foreign policy, and individually and in cooperation with each other, to more effectively protect populations from atrocity crimes wherever they occur.  

The Framework for Action sets out a series of actions that States should take to prevent and respond to atrocity crimes, across four spheres of action:

  1. domestic laws, policies and institutions;
  2. bilateral cooperation and influencing;
  3. regional cooperation; and
  4. multilateral cooperation.  

The Framework for Action is written for all States, not just States that have a history of atrocity crimes or that consider themselves to be at high risk of atrocity crimes.  It reflects that the risk factors of atrocity crimes - such as inequality, discrimination, marginalisation, xenophobia and identity-based violence - are present in all societies, albeit to varying degrees; and that similarly,  all States have capacities, institutions and actors that serve as inhibitors to atrocity crimes. Regardless of precisely how a State measures up against an atrocity risk analysis, addressing these risk factors and strengthening the inhibitors to atrocity crimes will promote less violent and more stable, harmonious and productive societies. 

You can read the full report here (PDF, 2.2MB)

 Click here to download a one page overview.