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CONCEPT
OF "INTERVENTION" IN INTERNATIONAL LAW
JUDE
IBEGBU
PREAMBLE
In this article,
we shall discuss the concept of intervention in international Law.
To this end we shall discuss the following: (1) Concept of "Intervention";"
(2) forms of "intervention"; (3) domestic jurisdiction;
(4) lawful and unlawful intervention.
1. CONCEPT OF "INTERVENTION"
The word "intervention"
is derived from the Latin word intervenire, which means to
come between According to Eppstein, it is used in international
law and ethics to indicate the assistance given by one or more governments
to one belligerent against another, or action taken by governments
outside their own territory to bring help to individuals or to assist
one or more parties to internal dissension within another State.
Historically the term has been used by Christian moralists in the
sense of action taken to defend others against injury in order to
perform a natural obligation of human society.
In international
Law, the word "intervention" is used both in a loose sense
and in the strict sense. When used in the strict sense, it is illegal
under international Law because it necessarily involves the threat
or use of force which constitutes a breach of the UN Charter’s
prohibition of use of force against a sovereign State. Thus
article 2 paragraph 4 of the Charter of the United Nations states:
All Members shall refrain in their international relations from
the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or
political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent
with the Purposes of the United Nations."
But generally, when
used in the loose sense it is not necessarily illegal since it does
not involve the use of force. However, the question of its legality
when used in this sense depends on the nature of the intervention
and context in which it is applied. For example article 62 of the
Statute of the International Court of Justice permits States
whose interest may be affected by the decision in the case to submit
a request to the Court to be allowed to intervene in that case.
In any case, in
the strict or technical sense of the word, the threat or use of
force against a sovereign State constitutes the essence of the term
"intervention" under international law. It is this type
of "intervention" that is mainly prohibited under international
Law. Thus the ICJ. in the Case against military and paramilitary
activities stated: "The element of coercion, which defines,
and indeed forms the very essence of, prohibited intervention, is
particularly obvious in the case of an intervention which uses force...."
There is also consensus
among international lawyers, that the essential element of the word
"intervention" is threat or use of force. Potter maintained that
the essential and minimum element which must be present in "intervention"
is interference of one or several States in the affairs of one or
several States. He affirmed that constraint is the essence of intervention,
and it can be individual or collective. Also, it can take place
both in the internal and external affairs of the State. It can be
the act of one or of several States against one or several others.
He affirmed: "The distinctive character of intervention, therefore,
is the intention of the intervening State to get his claims fulfilled
even if it entails at least to exercise some pressure with this
end in view." It is necessary that there be on the part of the petitioning
State, the intention, declared or implicit, to exercise pressure
with the view to obtain reparation. Intervention does not consist
in simple suggestion: it deals with a demand, followed or not by
consent. All the more gentle forms of diplomatic action are excluded
from this category.
Equally J. L. Brierly
stated that "intervention" is used generally to express almost any
act of interference by one State in the affairs of another. In a
more special sense, it is limited to "acts of interference either
in the domestic or the foreign affairs of another State which violate
that State's independence." He added that "the interference must
take an imperative form; it must either be forcible or backed by
the threat of force."
Explaining what
is meant by prohibition of "intervention" on the part of the United
Nations in accordance with article 2 paragraph 7 of the Charter
of the United Nations, Lauterpacht affirmed that it refers only
to any action that is tantamount to "intervention" but does not
exclude "measures falling short of intervention." He stated: "Intervention
is a technical term of, on the whole, unequivocal connotation. It
signifies dictatorial interference in the sense of action amounting
to a denial of the independence of the State." Further, he stated
that "it implies a peremptory demand for positive conduct or abstention
- a demand which, if not complied with, involves a threat of or
recourse to compulsion in some form." He argued that "in order to
justify the use of the term "intervention" in its accepted scientific
connotation there must be an attempt to "impose the will" by one
State upon another in an "imperative form." Intervention therefore
is "a peremptory demand accompanied by enforcement or threat of
enforcement in case of non-compliance."
Oppenheim's
international Law made a clear distinction between "intervention"
which involves the use of force - which is the real concept of intervention
in international Law- and that which does not involve the use of
force. It maintained that although States often use the term "intervention"
loosely to include such matters as criticism of the conduct of another
State, it has a stricter meaning in international law, according
to which, "intervention is forcible or dictatorial interference
by a State in the affairs of another State, calculated to impose
certain conduct or consequences on that other State." It emphasised
that for an interference to constitute "intervention" it "must be
forcible or dictatorial or otherwise coercive."Since acts like granting
or withholding recognition of government, good offices, various
forms of co-operation, making representations, or protesting against
an alleged wrongful act of a State, are not forcible or dictatorial,
they do not constitute intervention. Likewise other acts like severing
of diplomatic relations with another State, discontinuance of exports
to it or withdrawal of a programme of aid, organising a boycott
of its products, do not constitute a commission of an act of intervention
by a State.Interference which is coercive enough as to amount to
intervention "may involve the use of armed force in the direct form
of military action, or in a more indirect form as where support
is given to subversive or terrorist armed activities in another
State."
In conclusion we
maintain that in line with the other authors considered above Oppenheims
international Law equally held that the concept of "intervention"
in international Law necessarily involves an element of force.
Stowell while maintaining
that intervention must involve the use of force affirms that for
it to be legitimate it must follow the procedure recognised by States
before it is used against a State. He maintained that for a long
time, the word, "intervention" has been used in the interventional
affairs in order to designate the recourse to some measures of force,
either by ways of act, or under the form of threat, with the view
to getting the other States to adopt a certain line of conduct or
put an end to some hostilities or other undesirable activities.
Defining "intervention" from the point of view of international
law he stated that "intervention" is "the juridical use
of force with regard to another State or to its nationals in order
to ensure the respect of international law."
He maintained that
if we accept this definition, it is first of all necessary to understand
what the juridical or legal use of force means. Of course, force
cannot be used in the juridical sense, unless it is used in conformity
with the recognised procedure to be followed meticulously, the rules
of procedure practised by the States in their reciprocal relationships
at each of their stages. Besides, it is necessary to note that the
force duly applied must, according to the recognised procedure,
be legitimate, that is to say used in order to ensure the enforcement
of a recognised principle of international law. Because that is,
indeed, a principle which one discovers in the practice of States,
a principle normally observed, and moreover furnished by sufficient
sanction in order to compel its observation by whoever would wish
to evade it.
Intervention according
to Stowell therefore, would not be legitimate unless it is used
in accordance with the procedure followed by States. Under the current
international law, one of these procedures followed by States for
the legitimacy of intervention is that peaceful means should be
used first to obtain compliance from the State. These peaceful means
include, diplomatic appeals, peaceful means of settlement of disputes
which include recourse to international Court of Justice etc. and
when these procedures have failed to make the offending State comply,
then intervention becomes the last resort.
From the above
consideration we can conclude that the essential element of the
concept of intervention is that it must involve the use or threat
of force and for it to be legitimate its use must be preceded by
peaceful measures to make the offending State comply with its international
obligation.
Brierly maintains
that the word "intervention" is often used quite generally
to express almost any act of interference by one State in the affairs
of another; but in a more special sense it is restricted to acts
of interference either in the domestic or the foreign affairs of
another State which infringes that State’s independence. Consequently,
"a mere tender of advice by one State to another about some
matter within the competence of the latter to decide for itself,
would not be an intervention in this sense; the interference must
take an imperative form; it must either be forcible or backed by
the threat of force." Thus, not only must intervention always
involve the use of force but also it must be effectuated on a matter
which is within the domestic jurisdiction of the State.
In every type of
intervention, force or coercion must be present, but not all forcible
interventions are prohibited in international law. For example intervention
of the UN for the enforcement measures of the Security Council is
not illegal. Nor intervention in the exercise of the right to self-defence
illegal nor is provision of humanitarian aid by a third State to
subjects of a State in a civil war an illegal intervention. From
this clarification it follows that not every type of intervention
is illegal and therefore not every type of intervention is prohibited
under international law.
There are two essential
elements in the concept of intervention. First, it must involve
a threat or use of, force. Secondly the object of intervention must
be a matter which is within the domestic jurisdiction of the targeted
State It is these two elements that make intervention an unlawful
act in international law. Thus, as a matter of principle, "intervention"
is prohibited in international law.
Intervention should
be distinguished from war. Unlike war, intervention has the purpose
of attaining a specific objective, for example, to stop genocide
or mass killings occurring within the territory of another State.
From the above
considerations, we can define "intervention" as direct
or indirect, an individual or collective threat or use of force
against another State in a matter which is within its domestic jurisdiction
.
We shall proceed
to discuss all the various forms of intervention.
2. FORMS
OF INTERVENTION
PREAMBLE
From the above
consideration, it can been seen that intervention can take various
forms. It can be armed or non-armed; it can also be forceful but
not armed. It can be direct or indirect, unilateral or collective.
Finally, intervention can also be defensive. We shall consider these
various forms of intervention in this section. First we will consider
the various forms of armed or military intervention by discussing
the following: (1) Forms of armed or military intervention (2) Forms
of intervention without force.
2.1. FORMS
OF ARMED OR MILITARY INTERVENTION
2.1.1. ARMED OR
MILITARY INTERVENTION
Armed or military
intervention is intervention by armed troops of a foreign State
within the territory of another sovereign State. Armed intervention
can take the form of land or air or sea attack or all combined,
by a State against another sovereign State.
Armed -intervention
can be effectuated by air, land , sea attack or all three combined
in order to achieve a particular objective. It involves the intrusion
into the territory of another State. According to Fawcett, "the
notion of intervention connotes the intrusion of alien forces into
a political community, and generally their crossing of a national
frontier."
2.1.2. DIRECT AND
INDIRECT MILITARY INTERVENTION
Military intervention
can be either direct or indirect. Thus the ICJ in the Case against
military and paramilitary Activities stated:"…prohibited
intervention, is particularly obvious in the case of an intervention
which uses force, either in the direct form of military action,
or in the indirect form of support for subversive or terrorist armed
activities within another State....General Assembly resolution 2625
(XXV) equates assistance of this kind with the use of force by the
assisting State when the acts committed in another State ‘involve
a threat or use of force.’".Armed intervention can therefore
be either direct or indirect. We shall first discuss direct military
intervention and later indirect military intervention.
2.1.2.1. DIRECT
MILITARY INTERVENTION
Military intervention
is direct when a State or group of States intervenes militarily
and directly in the territory of another State in order to compel
it to comply with the demand of the intervening State or States
which may be to fulfil its international obligation. Thus the ICJ
in the Case against military and paramilitary Activities stated:"…prohibited
intervention, is particularly obvious in the case of an intervention
which uses force… in the direct form of military action…."
Military intervention can be carried out through air or land or
sea attack or all three combined.
2.1.2.2. INDIRECT
OR SUBVERSIVE MILITARY INTERVENTION
Indirect or subversive
armed intervention as distinguished from direct armed intervention
takes place when a State or a group of States indirectly engages
in a military action against another State, through terrorist groups
supported and controlled by the intervening State or States. Thus
the ICJ in the Case against military and paramilitary activities
stated:"…prohibited intervention, is particularly obvious
in the case of an intervention which uses force… in the indirect
form of support for subversive or terrorist armed activities within
another State." Fawcett stated that "subversive intervention
may be carried forward by irregular or self-organised groups, already
in the territory but subject to the control of a neighbouring State."
The use of force
by such units or bands, with the aim of ‘subverting the will of
the people’ and weakening of, or overthrowing the established political
order of another State, constitutes an act against the political
independence of that State in contravention of article 2, paragraph
4, of the Charter of the United Nations. In so far as it sends these
units or bands, or encourages or tolerates their crossing the frontier,
or assists them when they are already in the territory, of the other
State, a State will be using such force.
Indirect or subversive
intervention is also a violation of the principle of non-intervention.
Thus, the ICJ in the Nicaragua Case stated: "The Court
considers that in international law, if one State, with a view to
the coercion of another State, supports and assists armed bands
in that State whose purpose is to overthrow the government of that
State, that amounts to an intervention by the one State in the internal
affairs of the other, whether or not the political objective of
the State giving such support and assistance is equally far-reaching."
2.1.3. UNILATERAL
MILITARY INTERVENTION
Military intervention
can either be unilateral or collective. Unilateral military intervention
occurs when only a State or a group of States intervenes militarily
in the territory of another State without the authorisation of the
UN Security Council. The objective may be humanitarian, such as,
intervention to protect the citizens of the targeted State who are
victims of massive human rights violations.
2.1.4. COLLECTIVE
MILITARY INTERVENTION
Collective military
intervention occurs when a group of States launches an armed attack
against another sovereign State is order to achieve a specific objective
for example to compel the State to comply with its international
obligation.
Collective military
intervention can be legal or illegal depending on whether it is
undertaken with or without the authorisation of the UN Security
Council.
2.1.4.1. UN COLLECTIVE
MILITARY INTERVENTION
Article 2 paragraph
7 of the UN Charter states: "Nothing contained in the
present Charter shall authorise the United Nations to intervene
in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction
of any State or shall require the Members to submit such matters
to settlement under the present Charter; but this principle shall
not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter
VII."
Although the exception
to the principle of non-intervention contained in article 2 paragraph
7 of the Charter refers to the application of enforcement measures
under chapter VII, however, in so far as these measures involve
the use of force against the will of a sovereign State concerned
in a matter which is within its domestic jurisdiction in our view
they constitute UN collective intervention. Thus, article 2 paragraph
7 expressly prohibits the UN from intervening in matters which are
within the domestic jurisdiction of States but makes enforcement
measures under chapter VII an exception to this prohibition. Thus
Fawcett stated: "Collective intervention under the Charter
is an aspect of intervention , distinct from the intervention as
a measure of collective self-defence. The Charter term ‘enforcement
action,’ would include what may well be intervention on force...."
Their legality is what differentiates them from any other type of
collective intervention not authorised by the UN Security Council.
However, their legality does not change their nature as intervention.
It is therefore logical to describe these collective enforcement
measures as lawful collective intervention. Thus, UN enforcement
measures are lawful intervention.
Article 42 of chapter
VII empowers the UN Security Council to authorise the Member States
of the United Nations to take military action when non-armed forceful
measures stated in article 41 are not sufficient to maintain or
restore international peace and security. It states: "Should
the Security Council consider that measures provided for in Article
41 would be inadequate or have proved to be inadequate, it may take
such action by air, sea or land forces as may be necessary to maintain
or restore international peace and security. Such action may include
demonstrations, blockade, and other operations by air, sea or land
forces of Members of the United Nations." Such military action
when carried out by States is an example of collective intervention.
An example of collective
armed intervention authorised by the UN Security Council was the
intervention of the UN Member States to expel the illegal regime
that seized power from the democratically elected government of
Haiti in 1994. Under Resolution 940 (1994) of 31 July 1994, the
Security Council, while determining that the situation in
Haiti continued to constitute a threat to peace and security in
the region, stated: "Acting under Chapter VII of the
Charter, authorises Member States to form a multinational
force under unified command and control and, in this framework,
to use all necessary means to facilitate the departure from Haiti
of military leadership, consistent with the Governors Island Agreement,
the prompt return of the legitimately elected President and the
restoration of the legitimate authorities of the Government of Haiti,
and to establish and maintain a secure and stable environment that
will permit implementation of the Governors Island Agreement, on
the understanding that the cost of implementing this temporary operation
will be borne by the participating member States..."
The UN peace-keeping
programmes are not technically speaking intervention since they
do not involve the use of force except for self –defence and they
are undertaken only with the consent of the State involved.
Regional collective
intervention can be legal or illegal depending on whether they are
authorised by the UN Security Council or not in accordance with
article 53 paragraph 1 of the Charter which states:"...no
enforcement action shall be taken under regional arrangements or
by regional agencies without the authorisation of the Security Council...."
2.1.5. DEFENSIVE
MILITARY INTERVENTION
If permissible
action taken in exercise of the right of individual or collective
self-defence includes also a degree of intervention, that intervention
is itself justified on the basis of self-defence. Thus article 51
of the Charter of the United Nations embodies the right to
defensive intervention. This article states: "Nothing in the
present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or
collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member
of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures
necessary to maintain international peace and security."
Thus, when a State
is attacked by another State, in accordance with the right to self
defence, the State which is the victim of armed attack has the right
to repel the invader irrespective of the fact that the self-defence
may entail intervention in order to counter it. This is in accordance
with the exercise of right to individual self-defence recognised
in article 51 of the Charter.
Also the State
attacked has the right to request other States to assist it to defend
itself against the unjust aggressor and to expel it from its territory
if it is unable to so alone. When this obtains, the victim State
together with the other States assisting it while exercising their
right to individual and collective self-defence, also exercise their
right to defensive intervention.
2.1.6. HUMANITARIAN
INTERVENTION
Humanitarian intervention
obtains when a State or a group of States - with or without the
authorisation of the United Nations Security Council – or when UN
forces established by the UN Members with the mandate of UN Security
Council intervene within the territory of another State in order
to achieve a particular humanitarian objective. The objective must
be humanitarian, for example to prevent or stop a State from perpetrating
genocide or mass killings or committing other atrocities that shock
the conscience of humanity.
3. FORCEFUL
NON-MILITARY INTERVENTION
Having considered
the different forms of armed or military intervention, we shall
now discuss the forceful non-military intervention.
Besides armed intervention
there can also be forceful non-armed intervention; that is intervention
that is not armed, but at the same time is forceful. When there
is forceful non-armed intervention, there is a use of force that
is not armed. This obtains when States take forcible actions that
are not armed, against a State, in order to make the State fulfil
its international obligation, diplomatic representations, economic
embargo
3.1. COLLECTIVE
FORCEFUL NON-MILITARY INTERVENTION
Collective non-armed
forceful intervention obtains when a group of States together intervenes
militarily within the territory of another State for the same objectives.
Collective non-armed intervention may or may not be authorised by
the UN Security Council. It is authorised by the UN Security Council
when, after the Security Council determines that a situation is
a threat or a breach to international peace and security the Security
Council under chapter VII authorises the Member States to use the
enforcement measures stated in article 41 of chapter VII of the
Charter. In fact, article 2, paragraph 7, of the Charter stipulates
that this intervention is an exception to the prohibition of intervention
by the UN in the matters which are within the domestic affairs of
the State. Thus article 41 of Chapter VII states: "The Security
Council may decide what measures not involving the use of armed
force are to be employed to give effect to its decisions, and it
may call upon the Members of the United Nations to apply such measures."
Giving examples of these types of non-armed forceful intervention
it states: "These measures may include complete or partial
interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal,
telegraphic, radio and other means of communications, and the severance
of diplomatic relations."
4. INTERVENTION
WITHOUT FORCE
When there is intervention
without force, there is neither military intervention nor forceful
non-military intervention since neither arms nor force without the
use of arms is employed. This type of intervention is therefore
neither armed nor forceful. This is not intervention in the technical
sense of the word therefore it is not prohibited under international
Law. Thus, the UN can lawfully resort to different forms of intervention
without force, in order to protect human rights. Thus, Oppenheim’s
international Law stated: "Although article 2(7) of the Charter
provides that it does not authorise the United Nations to intervene
with regard to matters which are essentially within the domestic
jurisdiction of States, that provision does not exclude action,
short of dictatorial interference with the view to implementing
the purposes of the Charter. Thus with regard to the protection
of human rights and freedoms - a prominent feature of the Charter
-, the prohibition of intervention does not preclude study, discussion,
investigation and recommendation on the part of the various organs
of the United Nations."
This type of intervention
can be: public condemnations of human rights violations by a State
by political leaders, diplomatic representations. Some Human Rights
instruments have provisions for inter-State complaint for the State
Parties. Thus article 41 paragraph 1 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights 1966 states: "A State Party to
the present Covenant, may at any time declare under this Article
that it recognises the competence of the Committee to receive and
consider communications to the effect that a State Party claims
that another State Party, is not fulfilling its obligations under
the recent Covenant."
They can also take the form
of legal action against the offending State in international Courts
like the International Court of Justice or condemnations of human
rights violations by quasi international judiciary organs like human
rights commissions etc. These types of intervention are neither
armed intervention nor non-armed forceful interventions and are
therefore not prohibited under international Law. Any State can
resort to them in order to protect human rights in accordance with
the norm of obligation erga omnes of the principles of human
rights.
Intervention without
force can also take place when a third State, not directly involved
in the case, intervenes in that case, in order to protect its interest.
This type of intervention is exemplified in the definition of "intervention"
given by the Black’s Law Dictionary. Defining "intervention"
it states: "The procedure by which a third person, not originally
a party to the suit, but claiming an interest in the subject matter,
comes into the case, in order to protect his right or interpose
his claim....Intervention may exist either as a matter of right
...or at the discretion of the court.." Thus article 62 paragraph
1 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice states:
"Should a State consider that it has an interest of a legal
nature which may be affected by the decision in the case, it may
submit a request to the Court to be permitted to intervene."
On account of obligation
erga omnes of human rights, any breach of these rights affects
the legal interest of every State. Consequently, every State has
the right to intervene in any suit filed before the International
Court of Justice which deals with human rights violations. This
is the logical consequence of obligation erga omnes of human
rights.
In principle, these
types of non-forcible interventions are those which are legitimate
for the protection of human rights by all States when the violations
do not amount to genocide or mass killings. But when human rights
violations are tantamount to genocide or mass killings, in accordance
with the norm of the principles of obligation erga omnes
human rights and humanitarian law, States have the right to undertake
humanitarian intervention to prevent or stop such crimes provided
among other things, they have the authorisation of UN Security Council
and they respect the principle of proportionality and observe international
humanitarian Law. Their right to intervene arises from the
norm of obligation erga omnes of human rights in international
Law. We shall now proceed to discuss another element of prohibited
intervention which is that the matter for which intervention is
undertaken must be within the domestic jurisdiction of the targeted
State.
5. "DOMESTIC
JUSRISDICTION"
A prohibited intervention
must also deal with a matter which is within the domestic jurisdiction
of the targeted State. Thus in the Nicaragua Case the ICJ
stated:" A prohibited intervention must accordingly be one
bearing on matters in which each State is permitted, by the principle
of State sovereignty, to decide freely. One of these is the choice
of a political, economic, social and cultural system, and the formulation
of foreign policy. Intervention is wrongful when it uses methods
of coercion in regard to such choices, which must remain free ones.
Intervention therefore cannot be justified if it deals with
a matter which is solely within the domestic jurisdiction of a State.
It is therefore
necessary to explain the meaning of the phrase "solely within
the domestic jurisdiction" of the State." In the Advisory
Opinion on Nationality Decrees in Tunis and Morocco,
1923, the P.I.C.J. stated:" From one point of view, it might well
be said that the jurisdiction of a State is exclusive within
the limits fixed by international law.... The words "solely within
the domestic jurisdiction" seem rather to contemplate certain matters
which, though they may very closely concern the interests of more
than one State are not, in principle, regulated by international
Law. As regards such matters, each State is sole judge." The same
view is maintained by doctrine. Thus Brownlie affirmed that matters
which are within the competence of States under general international
Law are regarded "to be within the reserved domain, the domestic
jurisdiction of States." He further stated that the general view
is that the "reserved domain" is the domain of State activities
where the jurisdiction of the State is not under the obligation
of international law. The extent of this domain depends on international
law and varies in accordance with its development. Equally Schachter
explained that "domestic jurisdiction" is a concept "intended to
mark the boundary between matters governed by international law
and those left exclusively to the national State."
However, in international
Law, it is a generally accepted rule that once a State assumes an
international obligation on a particular matter, that matter automatically
ceases to be within the domestic jurisdiction of that State.
It follows from
the foregoing that "intervention" must involve the use
of force in a matter which is within the reserved domain of domestic
jurisdiction of the targeted State.
6. LAWFUL
AND UNLAWFUL INTERVENTION
PREAMBLE
We find it necessary
to make a further distinction between lawful and unlawful intervention.
6.1. LAWFUL
INTERVENTION
6.1.1. NECESSARY
CONDITIONS FOR LEGALITY OF INTERVENTION
There are conditions
under which intervention can be justified in international Law.
However, in such exceptional cases the intervening State is nevertheless
subject to certain restrictions as to the manner and circumstances
of its intervention. Especially, it must act consistently with the
prohibition against the use or threat of force laid down in the
United Nations Charter. Its actions must be proportional to the
circumstances causing the intervention and other means of changing
the situation like diplomatic representations must be shown to have
been unsuccessful or to be so unlikely to succeed as to make resort
to them unnecessary. Besides, any justification for intervention,
being an exception to a fundamental rule of international law, has
to be applied rigorously. Finally, it is indispensable that the
intervening State or States should have obtained the authorisation
of the UN Security Council.
On the other hand
lawful intervention is any intervention without force. Enforcement
measures stated in chapter VII of the Charter for maintenance
of international peace and security are lawful intervention. This
can take the form of collective armed intervention authorised by
the UN Security Council on universal or regional levels. Collective
lawful intervention at universal level is undertaken by collective
forces formed by the Members of the United Nations with the mandate
of the UN Security Council.
Lawful regional
intervention obtains when enforcement action taken under regional
arrangements or by regional agencies with the authorisation of the
UN Security Council intervenes to maintain or restore international
peace and security. Also included among lawful intervention are
all types of intervention without force.
6.2. UNLAWFUL
INTERVENTION
An unlawful intervention
must be military, or forceful non-military intervention. It must
also deal with a matter that is solely within the domestic jurisdiction
of the State.
It must be unilateral
and carried out by a State or group of States acting in their individual
capacity, without the authorisation of the UN Security Council.
This type of intervention is unlawful not only because it is involves
the use of military force, but also because it is unauthorised by
the Security Council. Thus, this type of intervention is not only
a breach of article 2 paragraph 4 of the UN Charter but also
a breach of the principle of non-intervention.
Therefore with the
exception of intervention without force, defensive intervention
and collective intervention authorised by the UN Security Council
for the maintenance of international peace and security, all the
other forms of intervention, in so far as they involve the use of
force and deal with a matter which is solely within the domestic
jurisdiction of a State, are prohibited under international law.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CASES
Case
concerning military and paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua
1986.
Advisory
Opinion on Nationality Decrees issued in Tunis and Morocco, (1923),
Series B, No. 4.
WORKS
BROWNLIE,
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