R2P i Sikkerhetsrådets klype – nødvendig, men problematisk

The article discusses the international dimension of the responsibility to protect (R2P) populations from massatrocities: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing. It activates when states, the primary protectors, manifestly fail to provide protection. The UN World Summit adopted R2P in 2005, with the international dimension anchored in the UN Security Council, a prerequisite to obtain consensus. Yet, it was not a receipt for smooth implementation. The article discusses why implementation through the Security Council is problematic, by focusing on the content of the policy, how the Security Council is composed and how it functions, and on the implementing actors and their relations to the decision makers. Analytically, the article draws upon a classic study of implementation and theoretical insights about how complex organizations operate.