International Community’s Responsibility to Protect in the Cases of Libya and Syria: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The different reactions of the international community, faced with serious violations of human rights in Syria and Libya, has provoked an interesting legal, moral, and political debate, still underway today, about the responsibility to protect civilians from the atrocities committed by their governments. However, the differences between the political and geo-strategic situations in Libya and Syria have determined the scope and nature of the measures taken to curb the suffering of populations, as well as the international organizations and states involved. This paper analyses the way in which the exercise of the responsibility to protect has been interpreted according to the international community’s perceptions of Libya’s and Syria’s different political circumstances. Equally, the article sets out some future scenarios in which both states may find themselves and the repercussions for the safety of their populations.