Fighting the logic of inviolable state sovereignty

Humanitarian interventions under the authorisation of the UN Security Council that infringe on a state's sovereignty have recently become the subject of increased debate. This stems from the evocation of the responsibility to protect doctrine for the first time in Libya last year and from attempts to take similar action in relation to Syria. Critics of the doctrine maintain that it is an attempt to facilitate the geo-political interest of states in the Security Council, whereas supporters point to its role in preventing genocide and mass atrocities within states' boundaries. The accepted middle-path could be to strengthen existing international institutions by enabling the UN Peace Keeping Force to take the mantle of implementing the council's resolutions aimed at promoting international peace and security.