96 INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICT Even if the General Assembly as an organ does not carry out or directly enforce protective measures, its creation of norms, principles and standards is fundamental for the effective protection of individual rights. Furthermore, its resolutions often represent States’ opinio iuris on a given question, which in time may be consolidated through State practice as a rule of customary law binding on all States. For example, there is a broad consensus that many of the rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have crystallized over time into norms of customary international law. Therefore, the continuous involvement of the General Assembly in the development of international human rights rules and principles is of great relevance. B.  THE SECURITY COUNCIL In the 2005 World Summit Outcome, Member States clearly recognized that “[t]he international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter, to help to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, [they] are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, including Chapter VII, on a caseby-case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity” (para. 139). The Security Council has, in fact, a long-standing practice of adopting resolutions in response to certain specific country situations where international peace and security are at risk and frequently where armed conflict has begun or is imminent. It has repeatedly demanded that parties to an armed conflict respect human rights and humanitarian law