Atrocity Crimes and International Law: Responsibility to Protect, Intercession, and Non-Forceful Responses

Civilians have continued to be targeted by their leaders and opposition groups, despite repeated declarations of "never again." This book introduces and develops an original conceptual tool, intercession, to capture and explain this change in State practice and the impact of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) on the development of international law. It explores whether there has been an expansion in the permissible measures and situations in which States can intervene, without using force, in response to atrocity crimes occurring in other States. The book concludes that the development of the secondary duty on the international community under R2P provides the greatest opportunity to progress the R2P framework in a meaningful way, which will have a significant impact on the protection of populations from atrocity crimes.

Format: Hardback
Length: 172 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Civilians have endured the tragic consequences of targeted attacks by their leaders and opposition groups, despite repeated declarations of "never again" in response to the commission of atrocities. The principles of sovereignty and non-intervention, when taken to their extreme, mandate that states remain idle and refrain from intervening in another state, regardless of the gravity of the atrocities occurring within its borders. This traditional legal perspective is being challenged by a growing trend of states opting for non-forceful responses, inspired by the concept of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

In this groundbreaking book, the author introduces and develops an innovative conceptual tool called "intercession" to capture and explain this shift in state practice and the profound impact of R2P on the development of international law. Through a meticulous examination of state practice, the work delves into whether there has been a expansion in the permissible measures and situations in which states can intervene, without resorting to force, in response to atrocity crimes occurring in other states.

The book concludes that the development of the secondary duty on the international community under R2P presents the greatest opportunity to advance the R2P framework in a meaningful way, which will have a significant impact on the protection of populations from atrocity crimes. This book is a must-read for students, researchers, and policymakers engaged in the fields of international law, international relations, humanitarian law, and peace and security studies. It offers valuable insights and perspectives that will contribute to our understanding of the complex challenges posed by atrocity crimes and the role of the international community in addressing them.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032116457