Peacekeeping, Humanitarian Intervention (H.I.), and Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

1. Key Themes

1. Peacekeeping Challenges:

   • Peacekeeping missions often struggle with neutrality, political constraints, and misaligned objectives.

   • Example: UN failures in Bosnia (1992–1995) and Rwanda (1994).

2. Humanitarian Intervention (H.I.):

   • Military action to protect civilians, often justified by norms of humanity but influenced by political interests.

   • Example: NATO’s intervention in Kosovo (1999).

3. Responsibility to Protect (R2P):

   • A doctrine advocating for intervention to prevent genocide and mass atrocities, but its application is inconsistent.

   • Example: R2P was invoked in Libya (2011) but not in Syria.

4. Norm of Neutrality:

   • The principle of not taking sides in conflicts, often challenged in humanitarian crises.

   • Example: NGOs in Somalia abandoned neutrality to protect aid convoys.

5. Politics of Intervention:

   • Interventions are often shaped by geopolitical interests, multilateralism, and the evolving norms of humanity.

   • Example: France’s intervention in Lebanon (1860) to protect Christians.

2. Key Concepts

• Humanitarian Intervention (H.I.): Military action to protect civilians from violence, often justified by norms of humanity.

• Responsibility to Protect (R2P): A doctrine advocating for intervention to prevent genocide and mass atrocities.

• Norm of Neutrality: The principle of not taking sides in conflicts, often challenged in humanitarian crises.

• Multilateralism: Cooperation among multiple states or organizations to achieve common goals, often seen in H.I.

• Norm of Humanity: The evolving idea of who deserves protection and intervention, expanding over time.

3. Key Thinkers and Their Arguments

• Barnett:

  • The norm of neutrality is often challenged in humanitarian crises, as seen in Somalia and Bosnia.

• Bellamy:

  • R2P and diplomacy are crucial for peacekeeping, but political constraints often limit their effectiveness.

• Finnemore:

  • The norm of humanity has evolved over time, shaping who deserves intervention and why.

4. Examples of Peacekeeping, H.I., and R2P

• Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992–1995):

  • The UN failed to protect civilians in "safe havens," leading to the Srebrenica massacre.

• Rwanda (1994):

  • The UN failed to prevent genocide, highlighting the limitations of peacekeeping.

• Kosovo (1999):

  • NATO intervened under the guise of humanitarianism, bombing Serbia to protect Kosovo Albanians.

• Somalia (1990s):

  • NGOs like Doctors Without Borders abandoned neutrality to protect aid convoys.

• Libya (2011):

  • R2P was invoked to justify NATO’s intervention, but its aftermath raised questions about the doctrine’s application.