The Impossible Mandate? Military Preparedness, the Responsibility to Protect and Modern Peace Operations [Paperback]

Victoria K. Holt and Tobias C. Berkman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2006

Is the world prepared to use military force to protect civilians from mass violence? In 2001, the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty argued that when nations failed to protect their citizens from large-scale violence and genocide, the international community should take on that "responsibility to protect." As policymakers embrace the idea of such a responsibility, more attention is needed on how military missions should protect civilians and what multinational organizations and national armed services are doing to prepare for such operations. This study looks at these tough questions, examines various concepts of civilian protection and identifies the challenges. It considers likely international actors and the tools used to prepare forces - mandates, rules of engagement, doctrine, and training - to support their missions. Key issues confronting peacekeepers mandated to protect civilians are examined in the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This book identifies clear gaps that must be addressed if aspirations to protect civilians are to transcend rhetoric and translate into effective action in the field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A sharp-eyed and hard-nosed account of what is needed not just to talk the 'responsibility to protect' talk but to translate it into effective operational action." -the Honorable Gareth Evans, President and CEO, International Crisis Group, Co-Chair, International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty --Back Cover

About the Author

Victoria K. Holt is a Senior Associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, where she co-directs the Future of Peace Operations program. She has written on a range of issues, including the protection of civilians, UN peacekeeping and reforms, US policies, regional capacities in Africa for peace operations, and tools for international rule of law. Victoria Holt joined the Center in 2001, bringing policy and political expertise from her professional experience within the State Department, Congress, and the NGO field. She served as Senior Policy Advisor at the State Department (Legislative Affairs), focusing on peacekeeping and UN issues. Earlier she directed a bipartisan coalition of leading statesment and non-governmental organizations on US policy toward the United Nations, and worked on Capitol Hill as a senior Congressional staffer for seven years, focusing on defense and foreign policy issues. She has held positions with other Washington-based policy institutes on international affairs. A graduate of the Naval War College, Holt also holds a BA with honors from Wesleyan University. Holt is a board member of Women in International Security (WIIS). Tobias C. Berkman is a Zuckerman Fellow and joint degree candidate in law and public policy at Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government. He is focusing his studies on international human rights, conflict resolution, public international law, and post-conflict rule of law. Toby Berkman was a Research Associate and Herbert Scoville, Jr. Peace Fellow in the Future of Peace Operations program at the Henry L. Stimson Center from January 2004 to June 2006. His experiences abroad include teaching in Casablanca, Morocco, and working for coexistence among Palestinians and Israelis at Seeds of Peace in Jerusalem.

Product Details

• Paperback: 241 pages
• Publisher: The Henry L. Stimson Center; 1st edition (October 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977002306
• ISBN-13: 978-0977002306
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,749,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)