Does humanitarian intervention 'work'? Could it work better if approached differently? Or should we just, in the words of one critic, 'give war a chance'? Since the end of the Cold War and the subsequent surge in civil and international conflicts, the UN has been faced by an ever-increasing set of demands on its military capacity. This book traces the evolution of its armed humanitarian intervention from the grand ambitions for forceful collective security through the 'brushfire' peacekeeping of the cold war years to its engagement with the present globalised yet fractured world order. Key Features Presents a concise analytical overview of the theoretical, moral and practical issues Explores the general setting of contemporary humanitarian intervention Assesses the actual record of post-Cold War humanitarian intervention on a region-by-region basis, from the Balkans to Africa and Southeast Asia Compiles a balance sheet of success and failure in the UN's efforts and confronts hard questions about their short and long-term value

Review
MacQueen's comprehensive analysis of UN military operations with humanitarian dimensions makes the case why the United Nations is the worst possible option for intervention, apart from all the others. A rare combination of rigorous history, in-depth analysis, and engaging prose. — Prof. Thomas G. Weiss, The CUNY Graduate Center MacQueen's comprehensive analysis of UN military operations with humanitarian dimensions makes the case why the United Nations is the worst possible option for intervention, apart from all the others. A rare combination of rigorous history, in-depth analysis, and engaging prose.

Norrie MacQueen teaches International Relations at the University of Dundee in Scotland and has previously worked in various parts of the world, including Africa and the South Pacific. He has published widely on the United Nations, peacekeeping and the politics and international relations of the global South.