Heads of State and government attending the 60th Session of the UN General assembly 14-16 September 2005 agreed as follows:
139.The international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian, and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters 6 and 8 of the Charter, to help to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, we are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, including Chapter 7, on a case by case basis and in co-operation with relevant regional organisations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. We stress the need for the General assembly to continue consideration of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and its implications, bearing in mind the principles of the Charter and international law. We also intend to commit ourselves as necessary and appropriate, to helping states build capacity to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and to assisting those which are under stress before crises and conflicts break out.
United Nations General Assembly, “World Summit Outcome 2005,” Resolution A/RES/60/1 (October 24, 2005), available at: www.un.org/summit2005/documents.html
You will note that the Responsibility to Protect has now been clarified in a three pillar model “Implementing the Responsibility to Protect”. Pillar three outlines the “Decisive and timely” response activated by a State inflicting crimes against humanity. This may include, amongst other things, an arms embargo, judicial prosecution and humanitarian intervention.
Download Implementing the Responsibility to Protect (PDF)
Download the document: Applying the responsibility to protect to Burma/Myanmar
by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (March 2010.)