Humanitarian Intervention Flashcards
Two main ideas of what sovereignty meant before R2P and what did the UNSC Article 2 implement to concrete this?
- Territorial dominace
- Non-intervention
Article 2: Prohibits the threat or use of force, except in self-defence or with UNSC approval.
What are the implications of the original idea of sovereignty?
Non-interference became accepted as a norm… So - how do we then deal with states abusing/killing its own citizens? E.G. Rwanda
Definitions of Humanitarian and Intervention
Humanitarian: an activity aimed at preventing abuses of HR
Intervention: an activity which allows other states/IO’s to intervene in domestic state affairs without consent of the government (can involve force)
What is Just War Theory? And what does it aim to do?
Seeks to understand when war is justifiable and legitimate.
By doing this, it aims to protect state sovereignty whilst at the same time seeks to justify intervention when a state’s actions are inhumane.
What are the criteria for JWT?
Jus ad Bellum: Whether you have the right to go to war
Right intention: to protect civilians they must displace a states government
Just Cause: A movement that people can get behind e.g. Taliban were bad for women (Afghanistan vs. US)
Last Resort
Probability of success
Just in Bello: Justice of war (During war)
Discrimination: Non-combatants must be given immunity and protected
Proportionality: Military actions must do more good than harm
How does JWT relate to HI? 5 Powers
3 of the 5 UNSC members are western states and so arguably mould the decision the Council makes on intervening to their will
How do HI’s and Non-intervention clash?
Non-intervention and deeply engrained idea of sovereignty VS. Human Rights
HI’s and Realism
Realism:
- Often opposed to intervention (Iraq)
- Views HI as costly and ineffective
- Intervention complete when state is ‘secured’ (fight stops)
HI’s and liberalism
- Must have clear laws to show intervention is legitimate
- Intervention must be sanctioned by multilateral forces (UN)
- Must protect civilian lives
- Intervention complete when HRs acknowledge by government
The 3 Elements to R2P
Prevent, React, Rebuild
How do the principles of Non-intervention and sovereignty affect the international realm? Which theories agree?
- Accepted by Realists and Liberalists alike.
- Gives all states an understanding of territories and borders which allows for a basic degree of peace.
What is the critique to Non-intervention and the idea of ‘sovereignty’ before R2P
- Westphilian ideology
- presumes states are the best actors to protect their citizens.
What are the 3 Pillars of R2P
- States must protect their civilians
- Int. Community must assist them to do so
- If a state fails, the int. community have the responsibility to act, whether peacefully or with force in accordance with UN charter
How has the idea of sovereignty changed over the centuries? (E.G. 16th century answered to..) and during WW2 what happened?
16th Century: Answer to God only
19th Century: By consent of the governed
(Holocaust and fascist movements brought about idea of HRs but unable to be realised during Cold War) -> (Humanitarian Intervention later deemed necessary after ordeals in Somalia and Rwanda)
What was Kosovo’s role in the creation of the ICISS and what question was raised?
- NATO acted without UN permission
- Is it legitimate for states to act without UN authority? And at how many deaths does it become justifiable to intervene without legitimacy?
- Introduction of Deng and Anna’s interlinking of sovereignty and responsibility
What was Annan and Deng’s idea of sovereignty and R2P interlink?
- State as a servant to its citizens
- Good governance = legitimacy of a state’s sovereignty
- If states are unable to protect their civilians, the idea of non-interference in sovereign affairs yields to R2P
What was the original scrutiny of ICISS/R2P
- Diminished sovereignty
- powerful states having right to act against any state if deemed necessary
– neo imperialism through other means
How was R2P/ICISS perceived in International Politics?
- Post-colonial states rejected it
- Developing states did not agree with its wording
- Russia stated it undermined the UN Charter
What happened in 2005 that changed R2P perception? And what do states now do?
- Use of force taken out
- All states seem to now regularly attempt to implement R2P in their national policies
Kenya
- Excellent early example of R2P implementation
- Ended successfully with President and opposing group agreeing on power share
- Brought crackdown on mobs
- Prevented what many believed would be worse mass atrocities
- AU President raised question: where does the threshold lay to have R2P implemented and why Kenya?
Libya
- Began through Arab Spring Revolutions
- Case with highest profile and most significant use of R2P to date
- Qaddafi reclaimed much land from rebels and branded them as ‘cockroaches’ - echoes of Rwanda
- UNSC implemented resolution 1973: use of force to protect civilians without state permission
- Confliction as NATO bombings harmed civilians that they are meant to protect
- Raises questions of R2P future: much is to be done
