The UN system

UN Security Council
primary responsibility for maintenance of
international peace and security.
15 Members
5 Permanent (veto power)
10 Non-Permanent (elected by GA for 2 yrs)
Decisions on substantive matters require 9
affirmative votes including the concurring
votes of the P5

Order Provisions of the UN Charter

Chapter I, Article 2:
Principle of sovereign equality
Refrain from threat or use of force
No intervention in matters essentially within
the domestic jurisdiction of any state

Justice and the Charter

Chapter I, Article 1:
respect for principle of equal rights and selfdetermination of peoples
promoting and encouraging respect for
human rights

R2P 2005 Outcome Document

The responsibility to protect involves a
commitment to take collective action,
including under Chapter VII, should peaceful
means be inadequate and national authorities
manifestly [be] failing to protect their
populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic
cleansing and crimes against humanity.