Finland’s role in the promotion of Responsibility to Protect at the United Nations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ongoing atrocities in numerous parts of the world make the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) norm a highly topical issue. The United Nations (UN) has emphasized the need to move from words to actual implementation of the norm. Despite the unanimous acceptance of the norm in 2005, its application remains contested. The Nordic states have been strong norm entrepreneurs at the UN, but how they implement R2P norm is less studied. This article asks how Finland has operationalized the R2P norm in the Security Council, General Assembly, and the Human Rights Council. This article draws on the literature about small states and about Nordic norm advocacy, on Finnish foreign policy documentation, and on interviews with diplomats and public officials involved with the R2P promotion. According to its findings, there is a gap between ambitious Finnish rhetoric and norm implementation. Instead of an entrepreneur role, it considers Finland a norm supporter.