The two Security Council resolutions on Libya in February and March were textbook examples of a phased response to an increasingly desperate situation. Invoking RtoP, that response began with a warning and the threat of sanctions and prosecution at the International Criminal Court, and only subsequently allowed military force to protect civilians.
但是在年初的科特迪瓦，尤其是利比亚，保护责任才真正开花结果。2月和3月安理会两项决议是对日益绝望的局势做出的典型阶段性反应。适用保护责任的行动在开始时仅限于警告、威胁制裁和在国际刑庭提出起诉，后来才开始允许军队为民众提供保护。这种威胁是切实存在的，而从挽救了数千条生命的角度看，这次的反应行动无疑非常有效。