Who bears the primary responsibility for protecting civilians from mass atrocities?

The individual sovereign state bears the primary responsibility for protecting civilians from mass atrocities because of the principle of state sovereignty and the concept of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). This principle asserts that the state is primarily responsible for the protection of its inhabitants and ensuring their safety from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.

Under international law and norms, it is the government's duty to safeguard its citizens and maintain order. When a state fails to protect its people or is itself the perpetrator of such atrocities, the international community can step in, but this is considered a secondary obligation. The idea is that the state should prevent such crimes and, if necessary, intervene to protect its citizens internally.

This emphasizes the importance of national responsibility and the expectation that governments will act in the best interests of their populations. Other actors such as the international community, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations play significant roles, but they function primarily in a supportive capacity when a sovereign state is unable or unwilling to fulfill its obligations.