President Obama’s New National Security Strategy Recognizes Threats of Mass Atrocities to U.S National Security, including Threats Arising from Pandemics and Infectious Diseases in Poorly Governed States

Promises to Strengthen U.S. Internal Capabilities and Cooperation with the International Community to Prevent or Respond to These Crimes

Please see excerpts below from:

NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
May 2010 (pp. 48-49)
(Accessed on 27 May 2010 at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/national_security_strategy.pdf)

"•• Prevent Genocide and Mass Atrocities: The United States and all member states of the U.N.

have endorsed the concept of the “Responsibility to Protect.” In so doing, we have recognized

that the primary responsibility for preventing genocide and mass atrocity rests with sovereign

governments, but that this responsibility passes to the broader international community when

sovereign governments themselves commit genocide or mass atrocities, or when they prove

unable or unwilling to take necessary action to prevent or respond to such crimes inside their

borders. The United States is committed to working with our allies, and to strengthening our

own internal capabilities, in order to ensure that the United States and the international community

are proactively engaged in a strategic effort to prevent mass atrocities and genocide.

In the event that prevention fails, the United States will work both multilaterally and bilaterally

to mobilize diplomatic, humanitarian, financial, and—in certain instances—military means to

prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities.

•• International Justice: From Nuremberg to Yugoslavia to Liberia, the United States has seen

that the end of impunity and the promotion of justice are not just moral imperatives; they

are stabilizing forces in international affairs. The United States is thus working to strengthen

national justice systems and is maintaining our support for ad hoc international tribunals and

hybrid courts. Those who intentionally target innocent civilians must be held accountable, and

we will continue to support institutions and prosecutions that advance this important interest.

Although the United States is not at present a party to the Rome Statute of the International

Criminal Court (ICC), and will always protect U.S. personnel, we are engaging with State Parties

to the Rome Statute on issues of concern and are supporting the ICC’s prosecution of those cases

that advance U.S. interests and values, consistent with the requirements of U.S. law.

Pandemics and Infectious Disease: The threat of contagious disease transcends political boundaries, and the ability to

prevent, quickly detect and contain outbreaks with pandemic potential has never been so important. An epidemic that begins

in a single community can quickly evolve into a multinational health crisis that causes millions to suffer, as well as spark

major disruptions to travel and trade. Addressing these transnational risks requires advance preparation, extensive

collaboration with the global community, and the development of a resilient population at home.

Recognizing that the health of the world’s population has never been more interdependent, we

are improving our public health and medical capabilities on the front lines, including domestic and

international disease surveillance, situational awareness, rapid and reliable development of medical

countermeasures to respond to public health threats, preparedness education and training, and surge

capacity of the domestic health care system to respond to an influx of patients due to a disaster or

emergency. These capabilities include our ability to work with international partners to mitigate and

contain disease when necessary.

We are enhancing international collaboration and strengthening multilateral institutions in order to

improve global surveillance and early warning capabilities and quickly enact control and containment

measures against the next pandemic threat. We continue to improve our understanding of emerging

diseases and help develop environments that are less conducive to epidemic emergence. We depend

on U.S. overseas laboratories, relationships with host nation governments, and the willingness of states to share health data

with nongovernmental and international organizations. In this regard, we need to continue to work to overcome the lack of

openness and a general reluctance to share health information. Finally, we seek to mitigate other problem areas, including

limited global vaccine production capacity, and the threat of emergent and reemergent disease in poorly governed states."