WATERLOO, Canada — Then Secretary General Kofi Annan's famous "challenge of humanitarian intervention" in September 1999 provoked a furious backlash from many countries. Yet a mere six years later, the norm, reformulated as the "responsibility to protect" (R2P), was endorsed by the world leaders gathered at the United Nations. Annan called it one of his most precious achievements.
Revolutionary advances with commitments made at grand summits can suffer many a slip by the time action is required. Make no mistake: R2P is a not just a slogan but a call to action by the international community. Failure to act will make a mockery of the noble sentiments.
Recognizing that the global endorsement of the norm in 2005 was but the prelude to translating it into timely action to prevent crises and stop atrocities, a new Global Center for R2P will be launched Thursday at the U.N. in New York.