Abstract
The global discussion around the concept of “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P), which proposes to reframe the norm of sovereignty, has represented one of the decade’s most controversial debates in the field of international security. The concept was applied most famously in the case of Libya in 2011. Its nature as an emerging norm and implications have been contested and remain debated in the international community. In that context, India’s nuanced reaction has been characterised as a kind of a puzzle by the media and numerous analysts in Europe and the United States. It was assumed that a democracy would embrace an initiative aiming at protecting human rights, yet India proved reticent to endorse R2P and its human rights promotion. From a different perspective, at a time when India has greatly increased its capabilities and become a recognised emerging power internationally, it could be supposed that its relation to sovereignty would evolve. Taking these paradoxes as a starting point, this paper will explore India’s relation to R2P as a lens to reflect on its current view on sovereignty, the use of force, and the United Nations. It will examine what this says about India’s larger understanding of the international order and its role in it. Finally, this paper will conclude by highlighting the implications of India’s position for the diplomacy of European states and the United States today.
Panel: Thinking European Security through India
Cite this presentation
@inproceedings{eiss-2021-an-indian-perspective-on-security-and-the-use-of-force-the-case-of-the-responsib,
author = {Raphaëlle Khan},
title = {An Indian Perspective on Security and the Use of Force: The Case of the Responsibility to Protect},
booktitle = {European Security Studies Conference 2021},
year = {2021},
url = {https://eiss-europa.com/papers/2021-an-indian-perspective-on-security-and-the-use-of-force-the-case-of-the-responsib.html}
}