Mass Atrocity Crimes in the Middle East and the Implementation of the Responsibility to Protect: The cases of Syria, Yemen and Gaza

Abstract

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) has been the subject of intense debates on how the international community should act in the face of mass atrocities. Particularly in conflict zones such as the Middle East region, the inability of states to fulfill their responsibility to protect populations raises the need for international action. This thesis details the historical development and institutionalization of R2P within the United Nations (UN) and analyzes the political and structural obstacles faced by the international community in implementing this principle. In this context, this thesis examines the three pillars of R2P – the primary responsibility of states to protect their populations, the responsibility of the international community to provide assistance and the collective response in a timely and decisive manner – in the context of Syria, Yemen and Gaza. These three cases from the Middle East illustrate how selectivity in the implementation of R2P limits its effectiveness in practice. This thesis provides a comparative analysis of the cases of Syria, Yemen and Gaza within the framework of the normative foundations and practical limitations of R2P and aims to make an original contribution to the literature on its role in international interventions.