Status: Published
Military intervention: NGO responses to human rights crises (2002)

Introduction
International military forces have intervened in several recent conflicts to protect civilians caught up in human rights crises. In others, they have failed to do so. Does military force help? When is it appropriate? Who should approve its use?
Written before the war in Iraq, this report looks at how human rights NGOs deal with situations in which armed force is proposed to protect civilian lives. It evaluates criteria, compares the approach of human rights and humanitarian organisations, and discusses some of the difficult dilemmas that arise.
A postscript assesses the “campaign against terrorism”, and the “Responsibility to Protect”.