This chapter examines how the “right to democracy” gained normative force in the 1990s. It begins by discussing the normative context that prevailed in the international system prior to the Third Wave of Democracy. It then discusses the key events and disputes that drove the idea a “right to democracy” to the forefront of international normative debates. It focuses on three cycles of norm change, arising out of the 1991 coup in Haiti, the 1992 “self-coup” in Peru, and the 1997 West African intervention in Sierra Leone. The chapter explores the arguments offered in these disputes and examines the extent to which the outcomes of these disputes have shaped how the international community responds to situations in which a democratic government is overthrown or threatened.
Keywords: international law, international norms, normative change, Haiti, Peru, Sierra Leone, Third Wave of Democracy,