Humanitarian intervention, Syria and the politics of human rights protection

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe protection of basic human rights has remained one of the most pressing and yet elusive goals of the international community. Though fashioned to counter one of the most insidious dangers that threaten the very foundation of modern-day international order, the number of deaths related to armed conflict and the collateral damage caused by international warfare has remained frightening. With the demise of Ghaddaffi, world attention shifted to Syria, especially as it concerns intervention to put a stop to the protracted killings and the human rights violations as a result of the heavy clamp down on citizens by the Assad regime. However, the inability of the international community to effectively respond to the Syria crisis through the humanitarian intervention responsibility to protect doctrine (RtoP) and the geopolitics between the United States (US), Russia and China mean that a dangerous stalemate remains in the Syria crisis. This study argues that for the RtoP to silence its critics, world leaders need to agree on a common ground for the protection of civilians through a strict monitoring and evaluation of the intervention process and the actors involved, enforcing an arms embargo, and committing to support local cease fires.