Atrocities and international accountability : beyond transitional justice / edited by Edel Hughes, William A. Schabas and Ramesh Thakur.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Hughes, Edel.

Schabas, William, 1950-

Thakur, Ramesh Chandra, 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Crimes against humanity.

Criminal liability.

Atrocities.

Truth commissions.

Reconciliation--Political aspects.

Reconciliation.

Physical Description:

xi, 297 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : United Nations University Press, 2007.

Summary:

Peacekeeping operations have unintended consequences - this fact has long been ignored by both practitioners and researchers. The deployment of a large number of soldiers, police officers and civilian personnel inevitably has various effects on the host society and economy, not all of which are in keeping with the peacekeeping mandate and intent or are easily discernible prior to the intervention. Such unintended consequences are especially serious when they cause harm to the local community, as in the case of sexual abuse and exploitation, corruption or the creation of a false economy. Unintended side-effects can also negatively affect the ability of the peacekeeping mission to achieve its mandate. This book is one of the first attempts to improve our understanding of unintended consequences of peacekeeping operations, by bringing together field experiences and academic analyses. The book investigates unintended consequences of peacekeeping operations on individuals and groups of individuals, on the host society and economy, and on the troop-contributing countries. It also analyses the degree to which the United Nations has tried to manage some of these side-effects, as well as the United Nations' accountability in the context of the international legal framework. The aim of the book is not to discredit peace operations but rather to improve the way in which such operations are planned and managed. The book identifies the need to develop a culture of accountability, which should include institutionalizing processes aimed at anticipating unintended consequences as a routine part of all planning cycles, and the monitoring of effects, including unintended effects, so that steps can be taken to prevent and manage negative side-effects as early as possible.

Contents:

How to come to terms with the past / Peter R. Baehr

Does power trump morality? reconciliation or transitional justice? / Rama Mani

Transitional justice and conflict termination : Mozambique, Rwanda and South Africa assessed / Helena Cobban

All the truth but only some justice? dilemmas of dealing with the past in new democracies / Jorge Heine

East Timor's search for justice, reconciliation and dignity / Jeff Kingston

No substitute for sovereignty : why international criminal justice has a bleak future and deserves it / Jeremy Rabkin

Dancing with the devil : prosecuting West Africa's warlords : current lessons learned and challenges / David M. Crane

The development of prosecutorial discretion in international criminal courts / Matthew Brubacher

Alternatives to prosecution : the case of Rwanda / Gerald Gahima

Independence and impartiality of the international judiciary : some lessons learned, and some ignored / William A. Schabas

Impartiality deficit and international criminal judging / Diane Marie Amann

The effect of amnesties before domestic and international tribunals : morality, law and politics / Leila Nadya Sadat

Trading justice for peace : the contemporary law and policy debate / Michael P. Scharf

Concluding remarks : the questions that still remain / William A. Schabas and Ramesh Thakur.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

92-808-7110-2

OCLC:

923704691