This book examines the obligations of peacekeepers and other multi-national forces to prevent serious abuses of human rights towards civilians under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It does so by analysing the meaning and practical consequences for troops of the Article 1 duty to respect and ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions, of the duty to secure human rights found in most international human rights treaties, and of the duty to restore law and order in an occupation. There are more troops engaged in peacekeeping activities now than in any other time i ... More

This book examines the obligations of peacekeepers and other multi-national forces to prevent serious abuses of human rights towards civilians under international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It does so by analysing the meaning and practical consequences for troops of the Article 1 duty to respect and ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions, of the duty to secure human rights found in most international human rights treaties, and of the duty to restore law and order in an occupation. There are more troops engaged in peacekeeping activities now than in any other time in history. Increasingly peacekeepers are in theory deployed to protect civilians from harm, but in practice the situations they find themselves in are often less than clear-cut. There are many instances in recent memory where troops failed to save the very civilians they were meant to protect. Peacekeepers may lack the mandate or resources to protect civilians from human rights abuses, or they may even themselves violate civilians' rights. This book analyses the duty to intervene to stop the commission of serious abuses of human rights. It examines the extent of troops' obligations to provide protection in light of various different operational and legal contexts. It also explores the ‘grey areas’ not adequately covered by international law. It discusses whether new approaches are needed, for example where operations are undertaken explicitly to protect people from serious violations of their human rights, and concludes by offering some guidelines for troops faced with such violations.