What is humanitarian intervention in international law?

Humanitarian intervention is a concept that can allow the use of force in a situation when the UN Security Council cannot pass a resolution under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations due to veto by a permanent member or due to not achieving 9 affirmative votes.

Is humanitarian intervention justifiable under international law?

See infra notes 19 and 20. This article argues that humanitarian intervention to prevent the mass slaughter by a state of its own citizens is not only a morally but a legally justifiable act under current norms of international law.

What is humanitarian intervention example?

The use of military force by the Western coalition against the forces of Colonial Gaddafi are an example of a humanitarian intervention. This is because military action was taken against another country with the stated aim of protecting civilians and preventing ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses.

What is humanitarian intervention and its aims?

humanitarian intervention, actions undertaken by an organization or organizations (usually a state or a coalition of states) that are intended to alleviate extensive human suffering within the borders of a sovereign state.

What are the criteria for humanitarian intervention?

In both 1991 and 1999, the UK invoked four conditions for a humanitarian intervention which can be briefly summarized as follows: first, the existence of an immediate, extreme, overwhelming humanitarian distress; second, the territorial State is unwilling or unable to cope with the humanitarian situation; third, no …

What are the types of humanitarian intervention?

Four types of humanitarian military intervention are offered: providing logistical assistance, protecting aid operations, protecting the population and defeating the perpetrators of violence.

What is the difference between Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 of UN Charter?

On the one hand, Chapter VI requires States to settle their disputes by peaceful means. On the other, Chapter VII enables the Security Council to take coercive action with respect to threats to the peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression.

Can international humanitarian law be invoked to justify armed intervention?

International humanitarian law cannot be invoked to justify armed intervention because it has nothing to do with the right of States to use force. Its role is strictly limited to setting limits to armed force irrespective of the legitimacy of its use.

What are the principal instruments of international humanitarian law?

The principal instruments of international humanitarian law – the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Additional Protocol I of 1977 – create the obligation of States Parties not only to respect those treaties but also to ensure respect for them [1 ] .

What does the ICRC say about “humanitarian intervention?

Moreover, the ICRC considers expressions such as ” humanitarian intervention” to be unhelpful and even dangerous since they lead us to erroneous conclusions which blur perceptions of the distinct charact er of international humanitarian law and humanitarian action. Basically, this development raises three issues.

What is the collective responsibility to comply with international humanitarian law?

This provision is generally considered to be the expression of a collective responsibility to make sure that international humanitarian law is complied with in all circumstances. How this obligation is to be implemented is not however clearly defined.