Dr Melanie O’Brien recently spoke to Al Jazeera news about the issues raised in the UN Special Investigation report into the failure of the UN Mission in South Sudan to protect civilians amidst an outbreak of violence in July this year. Dr O’Brien emphasised the problems arising from lack of unified command in peacekeeping operations, and the need for the UN Secretary-General elect António Guterres to create a UN that strongly supports those who uphold UN Charter values. The Executive Summary of the Independent Special Investigation can be found here.
Dr O'Brien is the convenor of the 2017 Justice and the Prevention of Genocide conference, jointly hosted by the TC Beirne School of Law and the Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Registrations for the conference are opening soon.