Even after decades of relatively established pattern for the relations between the states there is still an ambiguity on the issue of state sovereignty. To which extent its’ violation could be justified? In the study of International Relations there are two major perspectives on the legitimacy of such actions, they are: liberal and realist. Whilst former advocates for this measures when the state itself violates human rights of the citizens and extended intervention is required (Kegley, 259), latter claims that the state sovereignty is the central assumption of this theoretical framework (Kegley, 28) and the actions that might infringe it are not legitimate. 2011 military intervention in Libya, intended to cease Gaddafi’s regime (UNSC), can demonstrate both of these perspectives. Moreover, it particularly highlights the presence of peacemaking actors’ responsibility to protect the human rights of civilians. Nevertheless, both realist and liberal perspectives include the legitimacy of violation of the state sovereignty and at the same time reveal illegitimacy of this issue.
The liberal theory emphasises the importance of non-state actors such as the political institutions, Nongovernmental Organisations (NGOs), Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs) in world politics decision-making. All of them should act according to the public international law which regulates the government-to-government relationships (Kegley, 400). Thus, when Libyan government started to suppress the riots and demonstrations of civilian population by the military means the international community became cautious about the outcomes of such policies (UNSC). Moreover, when the government failed to respond for the calls to stop the violence, the response of the Un...
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...ng of international law’s efficiency.
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The objective of this paper is to address the ongoing crisis in Darfur and how it relates to international relations topics. This will be done by first bringing the reader up to speed with a historical summary of the Darfur Conflict so that they understand what is happening there. The next section will analyze the situation in Darfur using various international relations concepts. The final section will discuss the implications of the conflict on the international level, meaning, “Why should the world care? How does it affect other countries?”
Frieden, Jeffry A., David A. Lake, and Kenneth A. Schultz. World Politics. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2013. Print.
In order for a state to be allowed intervention into a conflict on the international sphere, they must first gain approval from all the members of the United Nations Security Council. Through this it is assumed that the reasoning for intervening are assessed, and legitimate. It should be noted however that This however has been proven to be a cumbersome mechanism to adhere to the right authority aspect as permission has never been granted by the UN Security Council to intervene in the conflict of a sovereign nation. The international community is largely hesitant to label a conflict a ‘humanitarian conflict’ as this would imply the necessity of international intervention.
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Humanitarian intervention is termed as the use of military power to intervene on another state without the endorsement of its rulers for the sake of safeguard and defense for civili...
Mingst, K. (2011). Essentials of international relations. (5th ed., p. 70). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
As described by Tim Dunne, the “United Nations is a multi-purpose agency directed to specific goals including collective security, peace-keeping, health, environmental and human rights concerns” (Dunne, 2007: 103). Although there are many concerns regarding the UN, there are two classical viewpoints which divide opinion on the UN’s effectives on the global stage; the realist and the liberal argument. The realists can point out that international organizations such as the United Nations are “of little help in channeling the perpetual power struggle between states, since they cannot change the anarchical structure of the international system” (Rittberger, 2006: 15). On the other side of the argument, the liberal viewpoint, strongly influenced
The liberal paradigm contrasts the realist’s view of the state being the main actor in the international sphere, as liberalists argue that humans have ‘fundamental natural rights to liberty consisting in the right to do whatever they think fit to preserve themselves’. Although Liberals accept that humans and states both have the desire to increase their own personal interest and power, they also strongly believe in international cooperation, which can be made possible through organisations such as the United Nations. Humanitarian intervention is evidently better understood through the lenses of the liberal paradigm due to the moral obligation humans have to prevent mass killings and human rights violations resulting in humanitarian intervention,
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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
International law has been regarded throughout history as the main system of rules regulating players of the international community, it applies to all states and imposes specific obligations and rights on nations, just as domestic law imposes them on individuals. Its purpose is similar to that of domestic law that is to eliminate chaos in the International community and set standards of behavior which states must follow in their dealings with each other.
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