This year, a new editorial team has stepped in to take the reins of Global
Responsibility to Protect (GR2P). In light of the tremendous contributions this
journal has made in pioneering and shaping a generation of scholarship on
R2P, we recognise that continuing this legacy is both an exciting and challenging prospect. We are indebted to the outgoing editors, Alex Bellamy, Sara
Davies and Luke Glanville for their dedication to high-quality scholarship from
a diverse set of scholars as well as their impressive achievements in chaperoning this journal from new entry to established and respected outlet. We also
wish to thank the Editorial Board for their notable contributions to GR2P over
the past eleven years; we are pleased to work with a team of such highly reputed and experienced individuals. We will strive to live up to the high standards they have all set while seeking to innovate and push GR2P to new heights

Gallagher, A

Hunt, CT

Jacob, C

Global Responsibility to Protect

Crossref

Editorial: a New Era of GR2P

Gallagher, Adrian

Hunt, Charles T.

Jacob, Cecilia

University of Queensland eSpace

Editorial: A New Era of GR2P

Hunt, Charles

The Australian National University

White Rose Research Online

This is a repository copy of Editorial: a New Era of GR2P.White Rose Research Online URL for this paper:https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/175243/Version: Accepted VersionArticle:Gallagher, A orcid.org/0000-0002-2625-7715, Hunt, CT and Jacob, C (2020) Editorial: a New Era of GR2P. Global Responsibility to Protect, 12 (1). pp. 5-9. ISSN 1875-9858 https://doi.org/10.1163/1875984x-01201002eprints@whiterose.ac.ukhttps://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. global responsibility to protect 12 (2020) 5-9© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2020 | doi:10.1163/1875984X-01201002brill.com/gr2pEditorial: a New Era of GR2PThis year, a new editorial team has stepped in to take the reins of Global  Responsibility to Protect (GR2P). In light of the tremendous contributions this journal has made in pioneering and shaping a generation of scholarship on R2P, we recognise that continuing this legacy is both an exciting and challeng-ing prospect. We are indebted to the outgoing editors, Alex Bellamy, Sara  Davies and Luke Glanville for their dedication to high-quality scholarship from a diverse set of scholars as well as their impressive achievements in chaperon-ing this journal from new entry to established and respected outlet. We also wish to thank the Editorial Board for their notable contributions to GR2P over the past eleven years; we are pleased to work with a team of such highly re-puted and experienced individuals. We will strive to live up to the high stan-dards they have all set while seeking to innovate and push GR2P to new heights.The year 2020 marks fifteen years since R2P was formalised at the UN World Summit and almost twenty years since the International Commission on Inter-vention and State Sovereignty brought the concept into popular imagination. As has been evidenced and elaborated in the pages of this journal over the years, R2P has travelled a long way in an extremely short space of time, but its effectiveness in eliciting responses to mass atrocities around the world is  chequered. Occasions where R2P seems to have played an important role in debates and even actions to prevent and halt atrocities are matched or out-numbered by the times when they have not.R2P is no panacea; rather it is a political principle that generates a set of expectations around practical efforts to prevent and halt mass atrocity crimes. As such it is part of a set of norms that seek to regulate behaviour towards civil-ians and put in place mechanisms to ameliorate their suffering. R2P works in tandem with a range of other contiguous normative agendas that enable and reinforce, or inhibit and undermine, its efficacy. At a time when the norms safeguarding civilians are being flouted and in some instances seemingly ‘un-made’, the need for scholarly research that evidences where and how these norms can be promoted as well as consolidated is essential.The current global context has transformed in significant ways since 2005; the international community has advanced the international human protec-tion regime in leaps and bounds. It has created new normative and legal safe-guards for vulnerable populations, and recognised the intersections between Downloaded from Brill.com06/15/2021 01:14:50PMvia University of LeedsGallagher, Hunt and Jacob6global responsibility to protect 12 (2020) 5-9accountability, human rights and minority protections that allow policymak-ers to understand the drivers of conflict and mass atrocity through a more ho-listic lens. Yet, geopolitical tensions have also moved to the fore in defining  interstate relations, and genuine international cooperation is wanting in the face of an unprecedented rise in the global population in need of humanitari-an assistance and forced displacement. R2P is often said to have been born in a liberal era, yet now finds itself in a time of shifting power balances as aca-demics debate the demise of the so-called Liberal World Order. As the world changes, so too does the relationship between international relations and mass violence. The rise of populism, non-state armed groups, and climate change raise new questions that may require new ways of thinking.In order to advance R2P scholarship both conceptually and practically in this dynamic context, the editors recognise that scholarly research on R2P must continue to expand its engagement with these broader thematic and policy agendas. The journal will continue to support ‘the publication of cutting edge research on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle’.1 We invite both theoretically imaginative and empirically grounded research on themes relat-ed to human protection and global cooperation on the reduction of mass vio-lence to grapple with these complex challenges.Above all we hope to retain the pages of the journal as a place for ‘critical debate and diversity of opinion, seeking insights and approaches from every region of the world that might contribute to understanding R2P and its imple-mentation in practice’.2 The editors seek to facilitate constructive dialogue  between scholars and practitioners and to provide space for reflection on prac-tical experience. To help bridge the scholar-practitioner divide, we have intro-duced some new features to the journal. Combining short-form reflective  essays from leading practitioners in the field with high-quality peer-reviewed academic research, we hope to generate increased dialogue and learning be-tween these communities. These new features are outlined below.1 What to Expect in a New Era of GR2P?1.1 VisionOur vision is for GR2P to be at the forefront of theoretical innovation and grounded research on human protection. To achieve this vision, we welcome 1 Alex J. Bellamy, Sara E. Davies and Luke Glanville, ‘Editorial: Global R2P at Ten … and Beyond’, Global Responsibility to Protect, 10/4: 389–392 (2018), p. 389.2 Ibid.Downloaded from Brill.com06/15/2021 01:14:50PMvia University of Leeds 7Editorialglobal responsibility to protect 12 (2020) 5-9contributions that are theoretically rigorous, empirically grounded and meth-odologically diverse. Contributions should speak from whichever historical and regional vantage point their research is situated to contemporary develop-ments in the international political and security landscape. Importantly, con-tributions should be able to clearly communicate the implications of their  research to a diverse range of practitioner and scholarly audiences to help fos-ter genuine dialogue and knowledge transfer between these communities.We are committed to reflecting a diversity of voices with grounded insight into the challenges of human protection, both geographically and at different levels of practice and/or governance. We therefore encourage participation by scholars and practitioners from diverse backgrounds with particular attention to gender and representation in/from the Global South. The editorial team will support inclusivity by soliciting individual submissions, special-themed issues and forums to reflect a broader range of voices featured in the journal. These considerations will also continue to be factored in the submission and peer-review process to ensure that feedback genuinely supports our commitment to diversity and inclusivity.1.2 ScopeIn that vein, we pledge to support contributions and collections that advance innovative approaches and grapple with complex challenges relating to the R2P by encouraging submissions that address a broader range of related topics that complement its broader principles and objectives. We welcome discus-sions that include – but are not limited to – atrocity prevention, protection of civilians, peacekeeping, human rights, transitional justice, international ac-countability, and global governance. This includes essays that deal with any aspect of the politics, legality and/or ethics of prevention, response and resolu-tion of large-scale human rights violations and violent conflict within and across state borders.GR2P is an interdisciplinary journal. It is open to articles that engage with a wide range of theoretical and conceptual approaches, including international relations, international law, international ethics, political science, security, peace and conflict, genocide studies, global governance and development studies. Importantly, we share a focus on inquiries grounded in empirics and real-world scenarios. As part of this, we will continue to welcome proposals for high-quality special (themed) issues at a time when such opportunities are diminishing.1.3 FormatWe are introducing a number of new features to GR2P intended to enhance the relevance and utility of the journal for established and uninitiated readers.Downloaded from Brill.com06/15/2021 01:14:50PMvia University of LeedsGallagher, Hunt and Jacob8global responsibility to protect 12 (2020) 5-9New Interventions Section: GR2P has frequently included articles from  senior figures including former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN  Secretary-General’s Special Advisers on R2P, Edward C. Luck and Jennifer Welsh, policymakers, civil society, humanitarian actors, and those who have played key roles in national and community-based protection efforts. These contributions provide an invaluable channel to bridge the practitioner-scholar divide. We hope to build on this feature by including a new shorter section, Interventions. We will invite and welcome submissions from experienced prac-titioners to write short essays (1,000–2,000 words) reflecting on how key ideas in the area of human protection translate to practice, and vice versa. These will be topical, practice-informed pieces that introduce new perspectives and pol-icy-relevant insights.New Forum Section: The new Forum section will feature in occasional issues where a few key practitioners hold a conversation through a series of very short contributions (500–800 words) on a current topic or case study that is of  particular relevance to the GR2P readership. We will accept proposals for pro-spective forums, and will solicit forum pieces at times to provide timely and informative analysis and debate.Intervention and Forum articles will be reviewed by the editors to facilitate the timely publication of these pieces.In looking ahead to our tenure, we hope we will be able to draw on the ex-pertise and generous support of the community that make the publication of this journal a success. These include the editorial board members, the com-munity of peer reviewers, and to our prospective authors who will ultimately dictate the innovation, quality and direction of GR2P going forward.1.4 Special Issue: the Rohingya Crisis and Implications for Myanmar’s Peace ProcessThe future of the R2P and more importantly, the rights of those that it sets out to protect, will only be advanced if we pause to reflect, and learn lessons, from each failure. With this in mind, this first issue brings together cutting-edge re-search that critically analyses the on-going mass violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar. First, Rosyidin draws attention to Indonesia’s quite diplomacy to argue that non-interference does not necessarily negate R2P norms. Situating the crisis within the context of global norms, the article has broader implica-tions for contemporary debates over asean’s relationship with the R2P.Second, Ryan’s investigation into the use of sexual violence in Myanmar’s military operations leads her to evidence a pattern of rape-permissive military doctrines across multiple military operations over many decades and many sites. Notably, this shines a spotlight on Tatmadaw recruiting, training and Downloaded from Brill.com06/15/2021 01:14:50PMvia University of Leeds 9Editorialglobal responsibility to protect 12 (2020) 5-9 deployment processes that have created a culture in which such violence is tolerated. Third, Morada argues that despite the international outrage, the in-ternational community continued failure to protect the Rohingya stems from three factors, i) a divided UN, ii) a lack of political will in asean, and iii) a lack of accountability for the Tatmadaw. This raises urgent and important ques-tions regarding how each of these can be addressed in the coming year.Fourth, in a novel approach, Palmer examines the relationship between pri-vate actors, infrastructure and the responsibility to protect in the context of Myanmar. In so doing, the author highlights the opportunities and risks in-volved whilst calling for due diligence. Finally, Arraiza and Davies focus on the 2015 National Ceasefire Agreement to examine how the peace process is being communicated amongst different actors, including, civil society organisations, international organisations, donor organisations, and government representa-tives. In so doing, they highlight the opportunities and challenges involved. As a collective, therefore, this issue provides much needed insight into critical aspects such as accountability, diplomacy, gender, public-private relations, na-tional, regional, and international dynamics. These will undoubtedly shape the future of Myanmar but clearly, the Rohingya do not need these lessons to be learnt in the future, they need protection now. With this in mind, we hope this issue gains as wide an audience as possible.The EditorsAdrian Gallagher, University of LeedsCharles T. Hunt, RMIT UniversityCecilia Jacob, The Australian National UniversityDownloaded from Brill.com06/15/2021 01:14:50PMvia University of Leeds

https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/175243/1/Editorial_%20a%20New%20Era%20of%20GR2P%20%281%29.pdf

Editorial: a New Era of GR2P

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Crossref

University of Queensland eSpace

The Australian National University

White Rose Research Online