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HumanitarianInterventionandtheResponsibilitytoProtect

DoesitChallengetheFoundationsofModernInternationalSocietyand

UNCharter?

AmjadNazeer

December2010

UniversityofGothenberg,Sweden

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Atpresent,theveryideaofISisquiteeuphemistic,comprisingatbestafewAmerican

&Europeanstates,attimesidentifyingthemselvesasenlightenedstatesaswell.They

aretheoneswhodefineawarasjustorunjustandtointerveneornottointerveneas

dictatedbytheirnationalinterestsnotasamoralimperative(Chomsky:1999:10-11).WhatSwedenneedstodoasaresponsiblememberofISsistocontributetowardsthe

expansionandnaturalizationofISbyitsdispositionofrespectingtheCharter.

Left to individual states, powerful states would always act under their cultural and

political preferences. Little consensus is available on the principles of HI in the

international community. It is therefore bound toundermine international normand

orderof the states.Statesselectively apply theprinciplesofHI, guisingtheir ulteriormotives, under humanitarian claims. Formulating or endorsing any such law shall

always be subjected to abuse (Amneus, 2008: 526-528), havingharmful impact on

Swedentooasarespectablememberstate.

ApartfromArticle51thatallowstheuseofforce,itisthespiritofArticle2(4)imbued

intherespectforsovereigntyandnon-interferencethatrunsallthroughthebodyofthe

Charter.UnderUNArticleVIII, it isappropriatemeasures,not the use of force thatprescribes prevention or suppression of genocide. Even in case of threat to peace

ArticleVIIallowstheuseofforceinaverynarrowsenseandasalastresort.Thistoois

not acceptable without the authorization of UNSC. Apart from genocide, it is not

extendable to other crimes against humanity and does not oblige states forexternal

responsibility.SeveralaspectsofR2Parenotcompatiblewi ththeILCArticles,savethe

non-militaristic measures. Responsibility and duty to cooperate are in response to

serious breaches of law offering a probability of lex-fernande rather than lex-lata.

Therefore an external R2P is not a duty of states under UN Charter. The UN GA

provision underuniting forpeace is controversial, only permissible if majoritystates

agree to use force as measure for R2P. But this too lacks historical evidence.

Comparing1950sand1960s,GAisnowoccupiedbynon-interventioniststates. The

ideaofinstitutionalizingR2Pandunitingforpeace,whenUNSCisunwillingorunable

to take action, is neither feasible nor likely to mobilize opinio-juris in near future

(Amneus2008:

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504-505). ICISSs proposal of R2P is only the third of the two other strict

conditionalities.EventheR2PCriteria isverymuchlikelytobemanoeuvredbyself-

serving ends (Nardin 2005). Non Aligned Movement always opposes intervention

unauthorisedbyUNSC.Actually thewhole ideaofHI andR2P is controversial andproblematic,profoundlywobblingthefoundationsofISandUNcharter.Itsprospects

aredisastrousifappliedfurther.First,theydonotofferanyhopeforthedevelopment

ofacoherentIS,secondlytheymightendangertheuniversality,sanctityandintegrity

ofIL.

Althoughwecannot deny the role ofHIs, authorised orunauthorised byUNSC, in

savinghumanlivesbuttheveryactremainsriskierforthesanctityofUNCharterandintegrity of IS. The so called war-on-terror is already abusing humanitarianism.

Powerful states are now poised to take unilateral measures under the garb of

preventinggrossviolationsorcrimesagainsthumanity.

Well intentionedbutR2Psattempttoswitchfocus fromstate sovereignty is hard to

materialiseoutsideUNsystem.ForgingconsensusaroundtheICISS-extendedcriteriais

nexttoimpossible.AlthoughWSSDalsoendorsedR2Pbutinprettyamendedformthatcannot help IL or shift opinio juris in favour of interventionism. Even ICISS itself

acknowledges that external interventions disturb internal order of the state and

generatechaos. It ismainlyuptothestatestoresolvedisputesinpeacefulmanner,it

opines.DarfuralreadymarksthedeathofsocallednewnormofR2Pwithinthespan

ofadecadesinceKosovointervention.Ultimately,itisonlytheCharterbasedILandIS

thatcansavethesufferinghumanityfromstateornon-stateatrocities.Greatercommon

good can only be realised if unauthorised interventions are completely banned and

trulyrepresentativeinternationalisgivenachancetodevelop.

InBhikkoParekhswords,citizensareexclusiveresponsibility of theirstates and if a

civilian authority is behaving in appalling manner, it is the duty of its citizens and

politicalleaderstochooseanappropriateresponse.J.SMillsargumentisbestsuited

heretoconveymyadvice. Intervenersareembroiledinanunendingcommitmentor

abusesreigniteoncetheyquit.Democracyandrespectforhumanrightscanonlybe

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establishedbydomesticstruggleforliberty.Superimposedandenforcedbyoutsiders,

human rights cannot take roots. It is the responsibility of the oppressed people

themselvestooverthrowtyrannicalgovernments.Finally,IwillsayILandIScanonly

bereinforcedbyrespectingtreatybasedlaw.

****

References:

Amnus,D.2008.TheResponsibilitytoProtectbyMilitaryMeans:EmergingNorms

onHumanitarianIntervention.

Baaz,M.,2009.TheUseofForceandInternationalSociety.Stockholm:JureFrlagAB.

Baaz,M.,2008.HumanRightsorhumanwrongs?Towardsathinuniversalcodeof

internationalhumanrightsforthetwentyfirstcentury .SartrykUrJurisdiskTidskrift.

13(3).

Baylis,J.,Smith,S.&Owens,P.,2004.Theglobalizationofworldpolitics.Oxford:Oxford

UniversityPress.

Chomsky,N.,1999.Thenewmilitaryhumanism:LessonsfromKosovo.London:PlutoPress.

Foley,C.,2008.Thethinblueline:Howhumanitarianismwenttowar,London:Verso.

Nardin,Terry.2005.HumanitarianImperialism, EthicsandInternationalAffairs,Volume19,

Issue2.September2005.

Seybolt,T.B.,2007.HumanitarianMilitaryIntervention:Theconditionforsuccessandfailure,

Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.

Wheeler,N.J.2000.Savingstrangers:humanitarianinterventionininternationalsociety,

OxfordUniversityPress,USA

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IndependentInternationalCommissiononKosovo,2000.Kosovoreport.[Online],Available

at:

http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/thekosovoreport.htm.

http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/thekosovoreport.htmhttp://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/thekosovoreport.htmhttp://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/thekosovoreport.htm