Humanitarian Intervention: A Conceptual Analysis

Defined as forcible action by a state, a group of states or international organizations to prevent or end gross violations of human rights on behalf of the nationals of the target state, through the use or threat of armed force without the consent of the target government, with or without UN Security Council authorization, humanitarian intervention has been one of the controversial topics in international law, political science and moral philosophy. The post-Cold War developments regarding the international protection of human rights reheated this debate; consequently the issue is increasingly covered by international relations discipline as well.