Humanitarian Intervention: The United Nations in an Evolving World Order

by Sean D. Murphy

Over the centuries, societies have gradually developed constraints on the use of armed force in the conduct of foreign relations. The crowning achievement of these efforts occurred in the mid-twentieth century with the general acceptance among the states of the world that the use of military force for territorial expansion was unacceptable. A central challenge for the twenty-first century rests in reconciling these constraints with the increasing desire to protect innocent persons from human rights deprivations that often take place during civil war or result from persecution by autocratic governments. Humanitarian Intervention is a detailed look at the historical development of constraints on the use of force and at incidents of humanitarian intervention prior to, during, and after the Cold War.

Genres: Politics

448 pages, Hardcover

First published December 19, 1996

About the author

Sean D. Murphy is the Manatt/Ahn Professor of International Law at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Since 2012, he has been a member of the U.N. International Law Commission, which appointed him special rapporteur for crimes against humanity. From 1987 to 1998, Professor Murphy was an attorney in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State, specializing in international claims and investment disputes, the law of war, and oceans and environmental law. He has served as an arbitrator, counsel, or expert in cases before international courts and tribunals, and during 2018-2020 he is the President of the American Society of International Law.