scholarly journals The Risk of Obsolescence: Reframing the Contemporary Use of Force Model to Achieve a More Holistic Application of the UN Charter Jus Ad Bellum Construct

Author(s):  
BRIAN L. COX

Abstract This article challenges the effectiveness of the prevailing interpretation of the contemporary use of force model that is centred on a decidedly narrow selection of relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter). In the now seventy-five years of the UN Charter era, predominant modes of armed conflict have evolved so as to be largely unrecognizable when compared to the model of war that was contemplated when negotiating and ratifying the Charter. Nonetheless, modes of engaging with an actual or contemplated use of force remain rooted in a model developed more than seven decades ago. This article suggests that a new frame of analysis is needed. The “Reframer” approach and “Purposes and Principles” model developed herein remain just as firmly grounded in the UN Charter as the prevailing interpretation. However, this novel approach and model incorporate a degree of nuance and adaptiveness that is not feasible when applying the prevailing interpretation of the contemporary use of force model.

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-62
Author(s):  
Ka Lok Yip

This article examines the tendencies to define the scope of application of jus ad bellum negatively in relation to the scope of application of jus in bello and demonstrates their neutralizing effect on the prohibition on the use of force under Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations. It argues that individual acts of use of force during an international armed conflict regulated by jus in bello, whether in combat, in restricting the freedom of enemy nationals or in maintaining an occupation, are equally regulated by jus ad bellum. It clarifies the concept of ‘separation’ between jus ad bellum and jus in bello as the insulation between the results of their respective application, not the differentiation between their respective temporal, material and normative scopes of application. It also addresses the practical concerns raised by this conception of ‘separation’ between jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Cet article examine les tendances à définir négativement le champ d’application du jus ad bellum par rapport au champ d’application du jus in bello et démontre l’effet neutral­isateur qu’elles ont sur l’emploi de la force tel que défini à l’article 2(4) de la Charte des Nations Unies. L’auteur affirme que les actes individuels de recours à la force lors d’un conflit armé international réglementé par le jus in bello, que ce soit lors d’un combat, en limitant la liberté des ressortissants ennemis ou en maintenant une occupation, sont réglementés de façon identique par le jus ad bellum. Il clarifie le concept de ‘séparation’ entre le jus ad bellum et le jus in bello comme étant l’isolation entre les résultats de leur application respective, et non comme la différenciation entre leurs champs d’application temporel, matériel et normatif. Il aborde également les préoccupations pratiques engen­drées par cette conception de la « séparation » entre jus ad bellum et jus in bello. In dit artikel worden de tendensen onderzocht om het toepassingsgebied van het jus ad bellum negatief te definiëren ten opzichte van het toepassingsgebied van het jus in bello en wordt het neutraliserende effect ervan op het verbod op het gebruik van geweld volgens artikel 2(4) van het Handvest van de Verenigde Naties aangetoond. De auteur betoogt dat het individuele gebruik van geweld tijdens een internationaal gewapend conflict dat door het jus in bello wordt geregeld, hetzij in gevechtssituaties, hetzij bij de vrijheidsbeperking van vijandige staatsburgers, hetzij bij de handhaving van een bezetting, evenzeer door het jus ad bellum wordt geregeld. Het artikel verduidelijkt het begrip ‘scheiding’ tussen het jus ad bellum en het jus in bello als de isolatie van de resultaten van hun respectieve toepassing en niet het onderscheid tussen hun respectieve temporele, materiële en normatieve toepassingsgebieden. In het artikel wordt ook ingegaan op de praktische bezwaren die deze opvatting van 'scheiding' tussen jus ad bellum en jus in bello met zich meebrengt. El artículo examina las tendencias conducentes a definir el ámbito de aplicación del jus ad bellum por defecto frente al ámbito de aplicación del jus in bello y demuestra su efecto inocuo partiendo de la prohibición del uso de la fuerza prevista en el Artículo 2(4) de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas. Se mantiene que los actos individuales de uso de la fuerza durante un conflicto armado internacional regulados por el jus in bello y ya sea en combate o restringiendo la libertad de ciudadanos enemigos o durante la ocupación, se encuentran igualmente regulados por el jus ad bellum. Se aclara el concepto de “separación” entre el jus ad bellum y el jus in bello partiendo de la base de los resultados de su aplicación respectiva y no a través de sus correspondientes ámbitos de aplicación temporal, material y normativa. También se abordan los problemas prácticos suscitados por el concepto de “separación” entre el jus ad bellum y el jus in bello. Questo articolo esamina le tendenze a definire negativamente il campo di applicazione dello jus ad bellum in relazione al campo di applicazione dello jus in bello e dimostra il loro effetto neutralizzante sulla proibizione all’uso della forza ai sensi dall’Articolo 2(4) della Carta della Nazioni Unite. L’articolo sostiene che i singoli atti dell’uso della forza durante un conflitto armato internazionale disciplinato dallo jus in bello, che siano in combattimento, nella limitazione della libertà dei cittadini nemici o nel mantenere un’occupazione, siano ugualmente disciplinati dallo jus ad bellum. Chiarisce il concetto di "separazione" tra jus ad bellum e jus in bello isolandone gli effetti della loro rispettiva applicazione, non come differenziazione tra i rispettivi ambiti di applicazione temporale, materiale e normativa. Risponde anche alle preoccupazioni pratiche sollevate da questa concezione di 'separazione' tra jus ad bellum e jus in bello. Dieser Artikel prüft die Tendenzen, den Anwendungsbereich des jus ad bellum im negativen Sinne gegenüber dem Anwendungsbereich des jus in bello zu bestimmen, und weist ihre neutralisierende Wirkung auf das Verbot der Gewaltanwendung gemäß Artikel 2(4) der Charta der Vereinten Nationen nach. Der Autor behauptet, dass individuelle Taten der Gewaltanwendung während eines internationalen bewaffneten Konflikts, die dem jus in bello unterliegen – sei es im Kampf, bei der Freiheitsbeschränkung feindlicher Staatsangehöriger oder bei der Aufrechterhaltung einer Besatzung – ebenso gut dem jus ad bellum unterliegen. Er erklärt das Konzept der ‘Trennung’ zwischen dem jus ad bellum und dem jus in bello als die Isolierung der Ergebnisse ihrer jeweiligen Anwendung, und nicht als Differenzierung zwischen ihren jeweiligen zeitlichen, materiellen und normativen Anwendungsbereichen. Er befasst sich auch mit den praktischen Fragen, die diese Auffassung der ‘Trennung’ zwischen dem jus ad bellum und dem jus in bello aufwirft.


Author(s):  
James Crawford ◽  
Rowan Nicholson

This chapter examines the relevance of the international law and institutions governing the use of force (jus ad bellum). It considers a number of critiques centred on whether the rules expressed in the UN Charter are effective in practice, too indeterminate, or too strict. First is the realist critique that views the rules on the use of force as ineffective. Second is the legal critique that the prohibition on the use of force does not amount to international law at all. In particular, the chapter discusses Michael Glennon’s argument in Chapter 3 of this volume that the principle of ‘sovereign equality’ has prevented the United Nations, especially the Security Council, from addressing emerging crises. It also argues that the UN Charter rules, while not always optimally effective, have played a key role in reducing interstate armed conflict since 1945.


2018 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
pp. 111-114
Author(s):  
Siobhán Wills

In this Article, I argue that there is inconsistency and confusion at the heart of UN policy on use of deadly force by peacekeepers and that this lack of clarity has resulted in deaths and injuries to people that pose no threat to UN forces or anybody else and have not engaged in any violent activities or indeed in any type of crime. Such deaths and injuries are likely to recur if the United Nations continues to use the same rules of engagement for law enforcement operations as it does for operations aimed at curtailing violence by parties to an armed conflict. The problem would be greatly mitigated if the United Nations were to formally commit to applying customary international human rights law standards on use of force in all circumstances except those to which international humanitarian law applies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (913) ◽  
pp. 235-259
Author(s):  
Frank Sauer

AbstractThis article explains why regulating autonomy in weapons systems, entailing the codification of a legally binding obligation to retain meaningful human control over the use of force, is such a challenging task within the framework of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. It is difficult because it requires new diplomatic language, and because the military value of weapon autonomy is hard to forego in the current arms control winter. The article argues that regulation is nevertheless imperative, because the strategic as well as ethical risks outweigh the military benefits of unshackled weapon autonomy. To this end, it offers some thoughts on how the implementation of regulation can be expedited.


1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (293) ◽  
pp. 94-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Doswald-Beck ◽  
Sylvain Vité

International humanitarian law is increasingly perceived as part of human rights law applicable in armed conflict. This trend can be traced back to the United Nations Human Rights Conference held in Tehran in 1968 which not only encouraged the development of humanitarian law itself, but also marked the beginning of a growing use by the United Nations of humanitarian law during its examination of the human rights situation in certain countries or during its thematic studies. The greater awareness of the relevance of humanitarian law to the protection of people in armed conflict, coupled with the increasing use of human rights law in international affairs, means that both these areas of law now have a much greater international profile and are regularly being used together in the work of both international and non-governmental organizations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 458-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingvild Bode ◽  
John Karlsrud

Since the failures of the United Nations of the early 1990s, the protection of civilians has evolved as a new norm for United Nations peacekeeping operations. However, a 2014 United Nations report found that while peacekeeping mandates often include the use of force to protect civilians, this has routinely been avoided by member states. What can account for this gap between the apparently solid normative foundations of the protection of civilians and the wide variation in implementation? This article approaches the question by highlighting normative ambiguity as a fundamental feature of international norms. Thereby, we consider implementation as a political, dynamic process where the diverging understandings that member states hold with regard to the protection of civilians norm manifest and emerge. We visualize this process in combining a critical-constructivist approach to norms with practice theories. Focusing on the practices of member states’ military advisers at the United Nations headquarters in New York, and their positions on how the protection of civilians should be implemented on the ground, we draw attention to their agency in norm implementation at an international site. Military advisers provide links between national ministries and contingents in the field, while also competing for being recognized as competent performers of appropriate implementation practices. Drawing on an interpretivist analysis of data generated through an online survey, a half-day workshop and interviews with selected delegations, the article adds to the understanding of norms in international relations while also providing empirical insights into peacekeeping effectiveness.


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