From Condemnation to Legitimization of Outcome: The United Nations and the Use of Force in Inter-State Relations

Purpose and Structure The United Nations Security Council has become dramatically more active since the end of the Cold War. This is evident in terms of the number of resolutions adopted, particularly the number of resolutions adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as in the number of peacekeeping missions and mandatory sanctions regimes. The main aim of this study is to assess if this increased activity of the Security Council in the post-Cold War Era has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in the effectiveness of the Council. This is done by analyzing the pattern of Security Council reactions to the use of force in inter-state relations. The prohibition of the use of force, other than in self-defence, is one of the most fundamental rules that the Council is assigned the responsibility to uphold. We assess the Security Council's reactions to the use of force in inter-state relations through its pattern of reactions to foreign military interventions. The structure of the study is as follows. First, the regulation of the use force in the Charter of the United Nations is described, and the main arguments of the international legal debate regarding these regulations are outlined. Second, the activities of the Security Council in the post-Cold War Era are presented. Third, the pattern of Security Council reactions to foreign military interventions is outlined. Fourth, the trends in Security Council behaviour are assessed.