Humanitarian Intervention: An Effective Instrument of or a Challenge to International Politics?

Recent years have seen the rise of crises in various parts of the world that have resulted in calls to the UN Security Council to come up with a clear response. From Libya to Syria and Ukraine, one of the most debated approaches towards tackling the situation was the reference to ‘humanitarian intervention’ and the establishment of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ as a clear referent concept. Given the ongoing UN debates, the proposed reforms to the peace and security pillar that has received criticism from a number of states including the UNSC permanent members, a holistic approach towards an internationally-acceptable vision of Humanitarian Intervention is strongly needed. The recognition of the awareness of engagement with the local actors and the importance of creative thinking are essential to yield the desired policy outcomes. This requires concerted inter-disciplinary research on the practical implementation of the concept and encompassing environmental knowledge, assessment of the socio-economic impact, changes to infrastructure and governance structures, and taking stock of the history and culture of communities/regions affected. This Section asks how humanitarian intervention features in broader approaches to development and foreign policy documents of states representing various historical and cultural regions, like the US, the UK, China, and Russia. International efforts on both state and non-state levels to foster resilience of fragile states that are prone to violence have caused the academic community to ask how and if intervention can strengthen states’ and societies’ coping mechanisms and survival strategies in practice. Another question posed in this context is about the local structures of resilience and strategies available to the local vulnerable social and ethnic groups to rely upon that intervention can reinforce. In practical terms, it is important to assess academically the ongoing practical challenges of successful intervention that can contribute towards reinforcing resilience and stability in conflict-prone areas. We believe it is necessary to articulate the means by which intervention can make vulnerable states, institutions, societies, and groups more capable of withstanding shocks and conflict. Their ability to respond to endogenous challenges is critical for their sustained capacity for development and stability of whole regions. We are interested whether and if so how, vulnerable states and societies become more resilient after experiencing shocks or conflict that trigger intervention. Thus, we are also interested in the responses from UN SC permanent members, as its member states shape and determine the extent and application of the concept for practical purposes.