In the context of R2P, what does the term 'mass atrocities' include?

The term 'mass atrocities' within the context of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) specifically encompasses severe and systematic violations of human rights, including genocide and ethnic cleansing. These actions are recognized as grave threats to international peace and security, warranting intervention to protect affected populations. The R2P doctrine is rooted in the principle that the international community has an obligation to take action when a state fails to protect its citizens from such egregious crimes.

Genocide refers to acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. Ethnic cleansing involves the purposeful removal or extermination of a particular group from a certain territory, often accompanied by violence and atrocities. Both of these acts are considered mass atrocities due to their large scale and the severe impact they have on communities and nations.

In contrast, minor conflicts, economic sanctions, and diplomatic disagreements do not rise to the level of mass atrocities as defined by the R2P framework. Minor conflicts may involve interpersonal or localized disputes without the extent of human suffering found in mass atrocities. Economic sanctions are measures imposed for political reasons, while diplomatic disagreements pertain to the differences in international relations, neither of which typically involve the direct physical harm