Humanitarian Intervention Flashcards
What is Sovereignty?
It is the central principle of international relations.
Define Sovereignty
The non-interference and the exclusion of all rival authorities to the state.
How has the notion of sovereignty changed?
The Nuremberg and Tokyo trials and the subsequent development of international criminal law have diluted the ability of sovereignty to act under its own notions and instead, actions can take on a global approach.
The Declaration of Human Rights (Development of International Human Rights Law) has eroded the independence of nations to take their own course and instead, there are international norms to be followed
With the onset of Globalisation, borders are less obvious with interactions between nations and private citizens
What reference does the UN make towards non-interference?
The United Nations Charter is built on a non-interventionist principle.
Norms are based on the sovereignty of nations, and the respect of the sovereignty of those nations
No entity can intervene on sovereign states
What is a major flaw of the security council in determining the threats to world peace and order?
That the Permanent 5 have a veto which can be used to stop actions against their allies creating a faux pau abilty to actually asses the threats to world peace and order
Since the cold war ended, how many interventions have occurred?
8, with a veriaty conducted by; the UN, NATO, the USA, Australia, and each nations allies.
What is the R2P?
R2P stands for Responsibility 2 Protect.
Protect human life
What are the principles of R2P policy?
First, Domestic responsibility to protect its citizens
Second, International responsibility, if the state itself couldn’t
What is the differentiation between R2P and Humanitarian Intervention?
While humanitarian intervention assumes a “right to intervene”, the R2P shifts the debate to a “responsibility to protect” of the state and the international community
Also, aimed to delimit unilateral actions
What are the two thresholds for R2P, before intervention will be approved by the UN or sovereign nations??
- the large-scale loss of life, actual or anticipated.
2. large-scale “ethnic cleansing”, actual or anticipated.
What other reasons for intervention are not covered by R2P?
violations falling short of outright killing or ethnic cleansing (such as systematic racial discrimination or political oppression)
the overthrow of democratically elected governments
the rescue by a state of its own nationals on foreign territory.
When was R2P adopted by the UN General Assembly?
2005
What are the three pillars of R2P intervention?
- Diplomacy and Mediation
- Economic Sanctions
- Military/physical intervention as last resort
How many times has R2P been used in a UN Resolution?
11 times since 2006
