Humanitarian intervention and historical responsibility

Who Should Intervene?

“…189-191), Tan (2006, pp. 97-99) and Hjorthen and Duus-Otterström (2016). civilians caught in the throes of ISIS, at least prima facie. The idea is captured by the following principle:…”

“…This limitation is clearly relevant for the case of humanitarian intervention, as the historical genesis of at least some cases of mass 18 I submit that the principle of historical responsibility is most plausible when it relies on moral responsibility. For further discussion of historical responsibility in the context of humanitarian intervention, see Hjorthen and Duus-Otterström (2016). 19 For empirical accounts of Belgium's role in Rwanda, see e.g.…”

Who should pay for humanitarian intervention?

“…However, use of CPP is not limited to those who only affirm negative duties. It can be used by supporters of cosmopolitan positive duties to override duty-bearers' complaints against taking remedial action (Hjorthen and Duus-Otterström, 2016: 195–196). On this view the point is not to make wrongdoers rectify past wrongs, but instead to undermine their objections against taking on the burden.…”

“…Finally, there might be cases where having a historically responsible state fund an intervention can hurt its effectiveness. Where a historically responsible state is sufficiently unpopular among the local population in the target state, its involvement might lead to the intervention facing greater resistance, even though it is merely funding the intervention (Hjorthen and Duus-Otterström, 2016: 196–198). But this objection only applies in cases where contributing financially comes with a measure of control over the ends and means of the intervention.…”

“…8. For a defence of the priority of effectiveness over concerns of historical responsibility, see Pattison (2011: 217). It has also been argued that historically responsible states might face stronger resistance and would therefore be less effective (Fabre, 2012: 190; Hjorthen and Duus-Otterström, 2016). …”