This policy brief is based on “The Role of Business in the Responsibility to Protect,” a chapter which appeared in The Responsibility to Protect and the Third Pillar: Legitimacy and Operationalization. This chapter, by Conor Seyle and Eamon Aloyo, reviewed existing research on the Responsibility to Protect and the role of business in security and conflict to argue that there is a concrete role for private-sector actors to contribute to the “timely and decisive response” to violations of the Responsibility to Protect that characterized “Third-Pillar” responses.
Key Findings
Private sector actors have a concrete role to play in response to violations of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine.
- Private-sector actors should be seen as potential partners in attempts to stop ongoing violations of the Responsibility to Protect.
- Outreach should emphasize specific and concrete steps that can be taken by private-sector actors to address the violation.
- Telecommunications firms should be specifically targeted for engagement in interventions to stop RtoP violations.
- Private-sector entities in regions experiencing mass atrocity crimes should consider taking independent action to protect civilians.