Deployment of Troops to Prevent Impending Genocide: A Contemporary Assessment of the UN Security Council’s Powers

Abstract

SummaryAs civil conflicts between ethnic or religious groups have increased in number, the United Nations has developed greater effectiveness in intervening in such conflicts and has made preventive measures a focus of planning and undertakings of the UN system. One obstacle to implementing preventive measures is the problem of national sovereignty. This article looks at the still relatively unused potential of the UN to deploy military troops as a measure to deal with crises of serious magnitude before they erupt into genocide, highlighting both the obstacles posed by state sovereignty and the potential for success. The article offers a comprehensive study of the human rights provisions of the UN Charter to show how they can operate to authorize the UN to take action to prevent impending genocide. Further, Security Council action in southern Rhodesia, northern Iraq, Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti, and Rwanda is examined, both illustrating the potential of early military action and raising questions about the timing of preventive measures. The article concludes that the most important challenge facing the UN is how to improve its capacity to prevent impending genocide. The success of military action in preventing genocide will determine the acceptance of future preventive measures of this nature, as states weigh whether the cost to their sovereignty is reasonable in view of the benefits obtained.