Essay from the year 2016 in the subject Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights, grade: 5.5/6, , language: English, abstract: During the armed conflict of non-international character between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), the intervention of NATO against the FRY supposed the internationalization of the conflict for all the parties. NATO decided to intervene in this conflict against the forces of the FRY arguing that they were neither supporters of the UCK, nor against Serbia. Indeed, they stated that their operations were in order to prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe”. Even if they used this label and stressed that they were not making war, their intervention was later on traduced in military operations based mainly on air attacks. The Security Council never authorized this intervention. Besides, NATO was accused in many occasions of nonrespecting the rules of International Humanitarian Law (Hereinafter “IHL”). The present paper will discuss the following questions: What is the legal status of NATO? What IHL instrument is NATO bound by as an organization? What are the IHL obligations of States when acting on behalf of NATO? How do NATO and States conjugate their different obligations under IHL during their interventions? How to make accountability for IHL breaches committed by NATO and the Allies?

To the United Nations:

The war in Kosovo was a turning point: NATO deployed its armed forces in war for the first time, and placed the controversial doctrine of 'humanitarian intervention' squarely in the world's eye. It was an armed intervention for the purpose of implementing Security Council resolutions-but without Security Council authorization.This report tries to answer a number of burning questions, such as why the international community was unable to act earlier and prevent the escalation of the conflict, as well as focusing on the capacity of the United Nations to act as global peacekeeper.The Commission recommends a new status for Kosovo, 'conditional independence', with the goal of lasting peace and security for Kosovo-and for the Balkan region in general. But many of the conslusions may be beneficially applied to conflicts the world-over.

Customary International Humanitarian Law, Volume I: Rules is a comprehensive analysis of the customary rules of international humanitarian law applicable in international and non-international armed conflicts. In the absence of ratifications of important treaties in this area, this is clearly a publication of major importance, carried out at the express request of the international community. In so doing, this study identifies the common core of international humanitarian law binding on all parties to all armed conflicts. Comment Don:RWI.

From Kurdistan to Somaliland, Xinjiang to South Yemen, all secessionist movements hope to secure newly independent states of their own. Most will not prevail. The existing scholarly wisdom provides one explanation for success, based on authority and control within the nascent states. With the aid of an expansive new dataset and detailed case studies, this book provides an alternative account. It argues that the strongest members of the international community have a decisive influence over whether today's secessionists become countries tomorrow and that, most often, their support is conditioned on parochial political considerations.

This book provides a modern and basic introduction to a branch of international law constantly gaining in importance in international life, namely international humanitarian law (the law of armed conflict). It is constructed in a way suitable for self-study. The subject-matters are discussed in self-contained chapters, allowing each to be studied independently of the others. Among the subject-matters discussed are, inter alia: the Relationship between jus ad bellum / jus in bello; Historical Evolution of IHL; Basic Principles and Sources of IHL; Martens Clause; International and Non-International Armed Conflicts; Material, Spatial, Personal and Temporal Scope of Application of IHL; Special Agreements under IHL; Role of the ICRC; Targeting; Objects Specifically Protected against Attack; Prohibited Weapons; Perfidy; Reprisals; Assistance of the Wounded and Sick; Definition of Combatants; Protection of Prisoners of War; Protection of Civilians; Occupied Territories; Protective Emblems; Sea Warfare; Neutrality; Implementation of IHL.