Global governance Flashcards
The dilema of intervention
State sovereignty versus human rights protection, under what conditions can you override the former for the latter.
UN Architecture - vital impetus is the prevention of mass violence and genocide
Use of force for HI purposes can only be authorised by the security council under chapter VII of the UN charter - Article 42
Stop another state from committing extensive and grave violations of humanitarian law and human rights law
Cold war - Geopolitical divide leads to deadlock in the UNSC.
Cold war UNSC
Was rare, as both countries had a veto, vast majority action only happend twice in this time, North Korean invasion of South Koreas and the internal conflict in Congo.
UN succesful military force
Most succesful missions are in arseas like Liberia, Burundi and timor leste, what can the Un do when a major power invades somwhere or commits genocide?
Ukraine and Israel for example.
Examples of UN intervention
1994 Rwandan genecide
Kosovo
1994 Rwandan genocide
- Vast failure of international protection
- 500,000-1 million Tutsi Rwandans lost their lives over 3 months of systematic killing
- UN peacekeeping force (UNAMIR) present but unable to change mandate, evacuation of foreign nationals. The UN could not bolster the mandate of the peacekeeping force.
- Key foreign powers unwilling to name the slaughter a ‘genocide’, precisely because they were unwilling to get involved on the ground.
Kosovo
- 1998-1999, systematic ethnic cleansing of Kosovar Albanians by Yugoslav government forces
- NATO intervention without UN security council mandate
- Triggers debate on circumstances under which use of force for human protection is justifiable
- NATOs actions ‘illegal but legitimate’.
Issues
Issues of inaction, for example in Bosnia and Rwanda, relation to political will to act. The cases of Bosnia and Rwanda showed us that doing nothing is no longer acceptable.
The problem of action, for example in Kosovo, challenges related to authority on which action should be taken.
International commission on intervention and state sovereignty was set up in 2000, came up with the report Responsibility to protect, released in 2001. R2P replaced the idea of right to intervention.
Reframes the debate around the primary responsibility of states to protect populations with international society having residual responsibility. Consensus between states in terms of protecting ‘populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity’.
R2P
2001 - The concept of R2P emerges
2005 - The World summit outcome document, R2P unanimously endorsed by states
Developed by the UN secretary general in annual reports in 2009
3 Pillars, these are protection, assistance and action.
Protection
Every state has responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
Assistance
The wider international community has the responsibility to encourage and assist individual states in meeting that responsibility.
Action
If a state is manifestly failing to protect its populations, the international community must be prepared to take appropriate collective action, in a timely and decisive manner and in accordance with the UN charter.
Libya
19 March 2011 - The first and only time there is authorisation and then intervention in the name of R2P, a multi state NATO led coalition began military intervention in Libya to implement in the UNSC resolution 1973 in response to events during the 2011 civil war.
UNSC acted rapidly, passed a resolution, referred the case to the ICC and demanded a Ceasefire. Unprecedently the UNSC authorised use of force, eventually leading to the death of colonel Ghaddafi and the fall of the regime.
Accusations that NATO used disproportionate force and furthermore there is no mechanism to hold the intervener accountable.
UN israel palastine
In 1947 the UN created the independant Arab and Jewish states of Israel and Palastine.
League of nations failures
Japan conquered Manchuria in 1932. The League objected, but could do little in response. When the League supported China’s sovereignty, Japan left the League in March 1933.
Hitler announced that Germany was leaving the League in October 1933.
Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1935. Although the League officially condemned the Italians, France and Britain were caught making a secret agreement to give Abyssinia to Italy.
