The Acts of Convention

Resolved, That the 77th General Convention affirms that our Lord’s commandment to love thy neighbor implies a binding moral responsibility on sovereign states to protect their populations from mass atrocities, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, as defined by international law; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention welcomes the United Nations’ establishment of the responsibility to protect as an international norm, and its efforts to uphold it through collective action when individual states fail to do so; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention commends the President of the United States for adopting the responsibility to protect as a principle of United States foreign policy; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention most strongly discourages the abuse of this norm to rationalize military actions in sovereign states for political ends; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention encourages the Presiding Bishop through the Office of Government Relations to join the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect so as to shape the continued development of precautionary principles for this norm and promote its faithful implementation; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention urges all Episcopalians to understand and reflect upon the principle of the responsibility to protect, and to advocate for its adherence by their respective governmental leaders.