Paper Summary:

This paper argues that humanitarian intervention, defined as military intervention in a state without the consent of its government, has become an international norm during the period since 1985. Since the U.N. is virtually always the primary agent of intervention, the paper begins by analyzing the reasons for the U.N.'s increasing number of interventions and why they are moving away from the traditional model and shifting towards humanitarian intervention without consent. The results of these interventions have varied, and the paper discusses three precedent-setting cases from the early 1990s in which the consent of parties as a requirement for U.N. humanitarian action was downgraded. Limited, focused humanitarian intervention has been successful, as exemplified by U.N. protection of Kurds in Northern Iraq. When the U.N. and U.S. intervened in Somalia, however, they lost their focus and took on large and varied tasks. In that case, intervention failed. Intervention also fails when it is done halfheartedly, and force is not used even when it is needed. This is what happened in the allied and U.N. humanitarian intervention in Bosnia. For each case study, the paper explains how it set a precedent in U.N. intervention practice, then analyzes the success or failure of the conflict and the causes for it. The effects of failed intervention are profound. The paper concludes by evaluating the U.N.'s role as the primary intervenor in conflicts since the 1980s.

From the Paper:

"There was evidence of "elements of consent" to this in Yugoslavia. Full consent was impossible because of the number of parties and disputes about their status, but through the winter of 1992, interventionist actions were based in consent. But the Security Council's resolution referred obliquely to chapter VII and implied that if Yugoslav consent stopped the UN would continue with its plans. Subsequent resolutions have been written along similar lines. Eventually it became clear that consent and traditional mediation would not halt the fighting, help civilians, or bring a peace settlement. Bosnia never requested humanitarian assistance from the UN, but 4 June 1993, the UN authorized force to defend UN safe area in Bosnia. This was a landmark decision."

Visitors who viewed this Term Paper also liked these:

• Analytical Essay # 131128 : "Humanitarian Intervention and Justification"
• Argumentative Essay # 106150 : "Humanitarian Intervention"
• Research Paper # 103169 : "Darfur and Humanitarian Intervention"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: