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Updated: 10-Jul-2003 July 2003

7 July 2003

 

The use of military force in conflict resolution

Background
NATO-Russia cooperation

The evolution of the character of international law in theory and practice was at the heart of discussions at an international conference in Moscow, 7 July.

According to existing UN statutes, the use of force in international conflicts can only be legitimized in cases of self-defence or with the approval of the Security Council. However, some have argued that after the Kosovo crisis of 1999 and, most recently operation Iraq Freedom, this legal order is no longer applicable. Is this the case? And if so, what international legal framework should replace the current order? These two questions dominated discussions, with participants examining whether military action taken by one state or a coalition of states without the sanction the UN Security Council could be considered legitimate.

While it was difficult to achieve consensus on these issues, the participants also focused on practical ways of dealing with international conflict resolution. They examined specific experiences of conflict resolution and other issues such as the role of the EU and NATO rapid reaction forces in this area.

Participants included Russian government officials and representatives from international organisations. The conference was jointly sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Defence Institute for Military History and the NATO Information Office in Moscow.