The first pillar of the doctrine places the primary responsibility of protecting populations directly on the home state.

Under Pillar One, every individual state has the absolute duty to protect its people from four specific crimes: genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. This means governments must actively prevent these atrocities and their incitement within their borders. Sovereignty is no longer a shield for tyrants. Instead, it is a pledge of safety. A state's first and most sacred contract is to keep its own citizens alive.