Dissertation: Conceptual disputes shape the evolution of international society (Huttunen)

At the 2005 United Nations (UN) World Summit, member states gave their unanimous approval to the principle of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in an aspiration to bring the era of mass atrocity crimes to an end. Yet, subsequent debates in the UN General Assembly and the Security Council have demonstrated a lack of consensus over the details of R2P.

Based on the above, the dissertation approaches R2P as a political concept and thus as an invitation for competing definitions. It conceptualises the Responsibility to Protect as a multidimensional global-scale social contract, examining its divergent interpretations voiced in UN debates between 2009 and 2024.

A tension mirrors a broader struggle for the future development of international society

The study reveals a fundamental conflict between a human rights-oriented and state-oriented interpretation of R2P. While the former emphasises the right of vulnerable populations to protection through any means available under the UN Charter, the latter perceives respect for the rights of the state as a prerequisite for the realisation of human rights. The dissertation suggests that this tension mirrors a broader struggle for the future development of international society, which the two camps seek to steer in opposing directions.

YTM Mari Huttunen defends her doctoral dissertation in political science, ”Describing the Wind: The Social Contract of the Responsibility to Protect”, on March 27, 2026, at 12:00 at the Old Assembly Hall (S212). The opponent will be Professor Alex J. Bellamy (University of Queensland) and the custos University Teacher Hanna-Mari Kivistö (University of Jyväskylä). The event will be held in English.