Hi all,
I am a graduate student at Webster University in St Louis Missouri, and I am currently enrolled in MA International Relations program. This semester, I am working with my research methods class and our final project is about coming up with a ready-to-use research design that can set a basis for my capstone project/thesis requirement that I need to graduate. My research topic lies in the role of NGOs in the implementation of R2P in conflict prevention. Specifically, my current research question is how does the involvement of civil society organizations (a form of NGOs) increase the effectiveness of R2P implementation in conflict prevention?
From my research thus far, I have found that most research related to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) has mostly focused on R2P as a responsibility of states, partly because the 2005 World Summit Outcome document indeed emphasizes the fact that states have the primary responsibility to protect populations against atrocity crimes. However, what is also apparent is that states often fail to fulfill their responsibilities, either due to a lack of political will or a lack of capacity, or that states themselves are the perpetrators of atrocity crimes. Therefore, it is clear that we cannot rely merely on states as atrocity prevention really is about everyone’s business.
This calls for the need to encourage not only partnerships between national governments and UN or regional organizations (which is already happening) but also with a more effective engagement with civil society individuals or regional and international non-governmental organizations. It was not until recently that the importance of NGOs is recognized. Therefore, given that, I want to move away from the state-centric understanding of R2P and extend towards exploring the relationship between NGOs and R2P. As atrocity prevention is at the core of R2P, NGOs can be invaluable because they, especially the regional or local ones, are the actors that directly interact with the affected population and are more aware of the local contexts and dynamics than any other. On top of that, their mandate generally already includes alienating mass human suffering and protecting people in distress, which is in alignment with the principles of R2P.
To be more specific, I want to examine whether the involvement of NGOs can essentially represent a contribution to the implementation of R2P in conflict prevention. In particular, I am interested in examining whether NGOs, as now being part of the broader international community, could also be bearers of R2P in terms of the responsibility to assist states and the international community to uphold the principles of R2P in peace operations. It has now been a consensus that NGOs support states' implementation of R2P by advocating support for regional R2P and documenting atrocity crimes that work towards holding perpetrators, including states, accountable. Therefore, it would be interesting to dig deeper into how NGOs seek to influence states and take up the responsibility to ensure states uphold R2P, and how these dynamics can thereby increase the overall effectiveness of R2P in conflict prevention, more broadly.
As such, the major concern I have to involve the following:
- I am not sure whether I should focus on a specific type of NGO which plays a role in the implementation of R2P in conflict prevention or just write about NGOs more broadly.
- I am also unsure whether which part of peace operations should I focus on.
- And the real concern is the lack of literature I can find that is relevant to my research. As you may have seen in my research question that for my first concern, I choose to focus on civil society organizations and for the second concern I choose to focus on conflict prevention. But maybe because of the over specificity, I am facing a big problem of not finding any relevant literature for my literature review.
Therefore, I want to reach out to experts and professionals on research gate for your kind assistance in providing some recommendations for the concerns I just raised: should I focus on a specific type of NGOs or just NGOs more broadly? which part of peace operations should I focus on: Is conflict prevention a good direction to pursue or should I focus on peace operations in a broader sense? All in all, is there any literature you could suggest which I might find useful for my research?
I am having a real hard time, and would greatly appreciate any recommendations and assistance you can provide. Please do help me in this regard if you can.
Kind regards,
Zin Mar Khing
R2P is a norm that has influenced the UN's work in peace and security issues. Like any other issue, civil society organizations have been involved in the policy process. The NGO which probably has the most visibility on R2P is the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (https://www.globalr2p.org/). Many other NGOs have supported this norm. Here is a statement written by the Global Centre and endorsed by many NGOs: (https://www.globalr2p.org/publications/civil-society-statement-on-the-protection-of-civilians-in-armed-conflict-2021/).
I would suggest you start looking at the Global Centre. Another NGO, which is less known, but quite influential in the UN Security Council, is the NGO Working Group on the Security Council (https://www.ngowgsc.org/content/ngo-working-group-security-council). It has pushed for R2P.
If you are trying to understand how R2P shaped the UN's work, the Global Centre has documented all the Security Council's and General Assembly's resolutions that include language connected to R2P. They also do the same for Human Rights Council's outcomes. Here is a link (https://www.globalr2p.org/resources/).
And there is quite a bit written on the nexus of NGOs and R2P.
Good luck!
Hope the International NGOs like Amenesty International, Human Right Watch, International Peace Foundations etc.
Apart from that some of the Indian Universities having Gandhian Research Studies could bring appropriate recommendations for conflict resolution mechanism.
Moreover, Win-Win Approach, Public Private Partnership (PPP) are also supporting to reconcile the agreement on both parties in the severe conflicts.
Kindly check in Google about Somali Conflicts and how it was tackled by what means the agreement between two parties for reducing conflicts.
Most of the UN website link will help to get more information about Conflict Settlements among the villagers.
Dear Zin Mar Khing:
I share a study of the relationship between development and humanitarian aid in a context of conflict in Colombia. Hope this is useful to understand critically the role of NGOs in R2P. Sadly, I only hve the title but perhaps we can contact the author for more help and advise.
NIÑO VEGA Nohora Constanza Tensiones y vínculos entre la ayuda humanitaria y el desarrollo. El caso del programa de Educación del Consejo Noruego para Refugiados en Norte de Santander – Colombia.
Greetings.
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