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International relations humanitarian intervention
Conclusion for humanitarian intervention
International law and domestic law
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In this essay I will be arguing that although non-intervention is understood as a norm in the field of international law, there are circumstances when humanitarian intervention is necessary in order to respond to serious abuse- such as when a state commits crimes or inflicts abuse upon their own citizens. Through explanation and analysis of the policies and processes of the United Nations, I will then be presenting arguments, involving the topics of human rights and moral duties, as to why humanitarian intervention is not only an effective solution, but also necessary at times. I will also examine a few of the common arguments against humanitarian intervention and go on to explain why they are invalid and flawed in nature. From there, I will …show more content…
This implied that states had no higher authority above themselves- meaning that they were allowed to be in control and operate with no direction from other states. From the perspective of the United Nations, intervention was seen as an intrusion upon a state’s sovereignty- given that it wasn’t consensual, and that the goal was to change the functioning and policies of the government- in attempt to achieve effects that they, as their own state, found to be satisfying. This balance shifted in the 1990s- this was the period of time when it became more normal for states to forcibly protect citizens of another state when there was a need to do so- such as in the case of a genocide. In 2011, the United Nations Security Council authorized intervention against sovereign states, in response to the crisis in Libya. However, the new policy still posed worries for some states of the Global South- they saw humanitarian intervention as interference forced upon the weaker states by the stronger ones. ********Add something here********[[[[[[I will be arguing that despite some of the concerns that have been mentioned, humanitarian intervention is not only an effective solution for resolving issues within sovereign states, but it is also necessary at …show more content…
When there is no proper method for determining when humanitarian intervention is acceptable, states may act on national self-interest in the name of “humanitarian intervention.” This occurred when Hitler argued that an invasion into Czechoslovakia was necessary, in order to protect the liberty of Czechoslovakia’s German population. Obviously, those were not his true intentions. In this case, humanitarian intervention justified the concept of powerful states interfering in to the weaker ones. Critics argue that humanitarian intervention is simply a label that justifies states using force against one another when it is not necessary. However, it is important to consider the cases in which humanitarian intervention is used properly. There was an extreme refugee crisis in Northern Iraq in April 1991, due to oppression of the Kurds caused by Saddam Hussein. The military forces of several states joined together and intervened in order to create safe, protected areas for the Kurdish people. In 1992, the compassion from US citizens influenced the US military to intervene in Solamia when it was needed. This is evidence that although there are cases in which humanitarian intervention is not used in an appropriate manner, when used effectively it can also be a valid
And until we can properly properly deal with the resettlement of refugees and the maintanence of refugee camps, then another criteria should be added for the employment of humanitarian intervention. Criteria for dealing with refugees created by humanitarian intervention should be established and agreed upon, before military force is used. Or, if there are many refugees, then humanitarian intervention should be used to stop the crisis creating the
In “On the American Indians” Vitoria argues that there are few situations that justify a country to use humanitarian intervention. Humanitarian intervention is defined as military force, publicly stated to end the violation of human rights, against another state. Vitoria discredits the justification of humanitarian intervention in every case, unless you are intervening for an ally or a friend. In this paper, I will argue that his view is more plausible than it may at first appear.
Humanitarian intervention after the post-cold war has been one of the main discussions in the International Relation theories. The term intervention generally brings a negative connotation as it defines as the coercive interference by the outside parties to a sovereign state that belongs in the community. The humanitarian intervention carried out by international institutions and individual sovereign states has often been related to the usage of military force. Therefore, it is often perceived intervention as a means of ways to stop sovereign states committing human rights abuse to its people. This essay will focus on the key concepts of allowing for humanitarian intervention mainly in moral and justice in international society. This essay will also contribute some arguments against humanitarian intervention from different aspects of theories in International Relation Theory.
Genocide is a pressing issue with a multitude of questions and debates surrounding it. It is the opinion of many people that the United Nations should not get involved with or try to stop ongoing genocide because of costs or impositions on the rights of a country, but what about the rights of an individual? The UN should get involved in human rights crimes that may lead to genocide to prevent millions of deaths, save money on humanitarian aid and clean up, and fulfill their responsibilities to stop such crimes. It is preferable to stop genocide before it occurs through diplomacy, but if necessary, military force may be used as a last resort. Navi Pillay, Human Rights High Commissioner, stated, “Concerted efforts by the international community at critical moments in time could prevent the escalation of violence into genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or ethnic cleansing.”
There have been many humanitarians that strive to help countries suffering with human right abuses. People think that the help from IGOs and NGOs will be enough to stop human rights violations. However, it hasn’t been effective. Every day, more and more human rights violations happen. The problem is escalating. People, including children, are still being forced to work to death, innocent civilians are still suffering the consequences of war, and families are struggling to stay firm together. Despite the efforts from the people, IGOs, and NGOs, In the year 2100, human rights abuse will not end.
... another state with the mindset of hopefully improving the overall atmosphere. Although intervention will always be in question, whether or not intervention is just an excuse to invade, with the creation of this resolution and the topic in discussion, most likely intervention will result it positive outcomes. One of the biggest contribution to successful interventions is the intention the state has going in. If the intention is to hopefully resolve conflicts and to intervene peacefully, meaning an unlikely possibility of military enforcement, intervention will be successful.
...s to act on the basis of power and self-interest. This is false because states actually have the ability to freely choose between alternative courses of actions. War is not the only option. As Walzer says, rarely is a state credibly threatened with extinction, this means that states are free in a very clear sense, to choose to act on the basis of moral commitments and conceptions of justice as well as upon considerations of their own national interests. This can be seen in practice in democratic regimes where both national interests and moral commitments are based upon the moral beliefs of a nation’s people. Since war is an intentional human activity, states choose whether or not to take the dramatic step of embarking into war. Therefore, any intentional human activity is one that is subjected to moral scrutiny and humans are more complex than the realist picture.
The concept of humanitarian intervention is highly contested but it is defined by Wise to be the threat or use of force across state borders by a state (or a group of states) aimed at preventing widespread and grave violations of fundamental human rights of individuals other than its own citizens, without the permission of the state within whose territory force is applied.
Since its adoption by world leaders at the World Summit in 2005, the Responsibility to Protect (herein R2P) has been hailed as a major achievement in protecting populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, or ethnic cleansing that would be committed by rulers. However, some see the R2P not as an effective human right instrument for civilians’ protection as it appears to be another tool for imperialism. My position in this essay is that I believe the R2P doctrine is a considerable achievement in world politics as it signals to potential perpetrators of mass atrocities that the world would no longer stand by, but will use force when necessary to protect innocent civilians. My position is articulated as follows. First, I will present the content/principles of the R2P doctrine . Second, I will point out the legal and moral argument underpinning the R2P, particularly its military aspect. Finally I will evoke some cases where the R2P has been critical in protecting populations from mass killing and show the shortcoming of those who argue against the R2P.
“This type of intervention at times may be the only way to prevent mass killing, and it can have a positive outcome. ”3 One instance of this would be when Australia claimed independence from Indonesia when a “pro-Indonesian militia launched a bloody campaign of fighting, looting and arson throughout the country. ”3 As a result, the United Nations sanctioned an international coalition to fight this militia that had, at this point, displaced over half a million citizens from their homes.
...t state autonomy cannot be restricted by anything but the community (state) itself. As one might assume, it follows from these differing standpoints that the way each theory view intervention, etc., will be in opposition. (Steve Smith, The Globalisation of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations p. 173A)
The post-Cold war world is one that has been riddled with conflict, suffering and war. In the face of such times, the issue of humanitarian intervention and about who, when and how it should be employed, has become hotly debated. While some critics declare this kind of intervention to be a violation of national sovereignty, others believe that relief efforts aimed at ending human suffering are perfectly justifiable. (7) The key question here is, if internal wars cause unacceptable human suffering, should the international community develop collective mechanisms for preventing or alleviating it?(5) This essay will attempt to address such a question, by outlining the arguments for and against humanitarian intervention in the context of the Bosnian crisis of 1991. In light of the evidence, it will be proven that although humanitarian intervention does have flaws, it is a vital tool in alleviating the human suffering that so plagues contemporary society.
When considering the concepts of human rights and state sovereignty, the potential for conflict between the two is evident. Any humanitarian intervention by other actors within the international system would effectively constitute a violation of the traditional sovereign rights of states to govern their own domestic affairs. Thus, the answer to this question lies in an examination of the legitimacy and morality of humanitarian intervention. While traditionally, the Westphalian concept of sovereignty and non-intervention has prevailed, in the period since the Cold War, the view of human rights as principles universally entitled to humanity, and the norm of enforcing them, has developed. This has led to the 1990’s being described as a ‘golden
Introduction In this essay I will examine when UN peacekeepers should be permitted to use force, who authorised the use of such force and to what degree use of force should be necessary to carry out their objective of peacekeeping. I will look at UN peacekeeping missions where a more robust mandate was justified and may have prevented an escalation of violence thus expediting a resolution and saving many lives in the process. I will also analyse UN peacekeeping missions when a more robust mandate was not implemented to protect civilians such as the Balkan’s and Rwanda. These grossly inadequate mandates in these UN missions failed in their mission objectives to protect civilians and restore peace and security.
Magno, A., (2001) Human Rights in Times of Conflict: Humanitarian Intervention. Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, 2 (5). [online] Available from: http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/resources/publications/dialogue/2_05/articles/883.html> [Accessed 2 March 2011] United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report (2000) Human Rights and Human Development (New York) p.19