What is “Friends of R2P – Cambodia”?
Friends of R2P – Cambodia is a network of dedicated individuals and institutions that aspires for a society without genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Our mission is to promote the norms of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) as adopted in the 2005 UN World Summit by raising awareness and helping put in place effective mechanisms to protect civilians from mass atrocities.
The objectives of our network are:
- To enhance public knowledge and awareness of the R2P principle across different sectors in Cambodia, including remembrance of past atrocities;
- To strengthen the capacity of involved stakeholders through national dialogue, outreach, education, and training, as well as to monitor and share information on early warning signs;
- To actively engage international stakeholders in order to build capacity at the national level; and
- To provide support to state institutions and the Cambodia national focal point in their efforts to develop a national action plan for the prevention of mass atrocities.
Friends of R2P-Cambodia is oriented toward supporting the realization of the narrow but deep approach to R2P operationalization at the national and grassroots levels as set out by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and following the adoption of the principle in the 2005 UN World Summit of Leaders. The group will employ the following strategies identified in Sections 1-3 for the first 4 years of its operation from 2016 to 2019:
Section 1. Awareness Raising and Outreach
This will come in a form of public forums, community dialogues, workshops, or special events on the principles of R2P with the focus on youth, community leaders, relevant government bodies and civil society organizations. The effort will also include the development of a “Friends of R2P-Cambodia” website and blog as well as social media, including a Facebook page, with a contact member or coordinating institution.
Section 2: Capacity-building and Training
The training will cover the development of policy-relevant knowledge on mass atrocity prevention that would be useful for key Cambodian stakeholders, especially the military/police units, government agencies, civil society, community leaders, and academia. Training events include a roundtable/workshop with members of think tanks and academic institutions on mass atrocity prevention strategies, and a roundtable/workshop with government on implementation and ratification of relevant international treaties. Capacity-building also aims to support the drafting of relevant domestic legislation on human protection and promote public awareness on the Geneva conventions and other relevant international laws.
Section 3: Stakeholder Engagement, Support and Research
Friends of R2P-Cambodia will monitor, document, and conduct policy-relevant research on risk factors related to prevention of atrocities, which are all part of building an early warning system. The group will also recommend policy options including the creation of atrocity prevention mechanisms to policy makers. It will encourage members to publish and disseminate research papers through seminars and workshops as well as outreach activities.
Section 4: Action Plan
Friends of R2P will implement the action plan below:
- Form an executive committee composed of R2P Champions to coordinate the work and activities for effective communication and operation;
- Organize conferences, workshops, and lectures on topics of vital interest, and develop a website and blog to promote common and better understanding of R2P in Cambodia;
- Prepare a resource pack (or toolkit) and relevant information about R2P in Khmer language for outreach and training purposes;
- Use social and virtual networks/platforms to engage relevant stakeholders, and to share their work and other relevant information on R2P;
- Conduct a pilot project in provincial areas on outreach or training activities and draw key learning points for further improvement; and
- Develop proposals and seek funding support for the implementation of various atrocity prevention projects.
Becoming Members of “Friends of R2P – Cambodia”
“Friends of R2P – Cambodia” welcomes stakeholders, namely civil society organizations, youth organizations, government officials, parliamentarians, educators/scholars, and representatives from the community and private sector. Individual members are also welcomed to join to provide inputs and ideas.
There will be no membership size limit.
Any individuals with an interest in mass atrocity prevention may apply for FR2P-Cam’s membership through the below membership form and send it to the following email: raksmeyhim2@gmail.com