UN Secretary-General Highlights Surge in Armed Conflicts, Urges Commitment to Responsibility to Protect Against Violence
UN Secretary-General Highlights Surge in Armed Conflicts, Urges Commitment to Responsibility to Protect Against Violence
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the world is experiencing the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II, Africanews reported. Speaking at the General Assembly on the 20th anniversary of the U.N.’s Responsibility to Protect (R2P), Guterres emphasized the urgent need for member states to uphold their duty to safeguard populations from mass atrocities.
Adopted in 2005, the R2P principle obliges nations to protect their citizens from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. Guterres described R2P as “an urgent necessity, a moral imperative, and an unfulfilled promise.”
He called on countries to renew their dedication to this commitment, strengthen international cooperation, and make the prevention of atrocities a permanent, universal practice. “Let us keep that promise,” Guterres urged, stressing the importance of collective action to protect vulnerable populations worldwide and prevent future atrocities.
