Responsibility to Protect

AIDAN HEHIR Director of the Security and International Relations Programme at the University of Westminster, UK. His books include Kosovo, Intervention and State building (Routledge, 2010), Humanitarian Intervention: An Introduction (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010); Humanitarian Intervention After Kosovo (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008)andState Building: Theory and Practice (Routledge, 2007 & 2009).

• Introduction: Rhetoric and RealityPART I: THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT: SOUND AND FURY? The Evolution of the Responsibility to Protect The Responsibility to Protect, Authority and International Law Prevention: The Last Refuge of the Unimaginative? Political Will and Non-InterventionPART II: BEYONE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT In Defence of Humanitarian Intervention and the Potential of International LawUnderstanding the Tension between Sovereignty and InterventionGrasping the Nettle: The Parameters of Viable ReformConclusion: the Future of Humanitarian Intervention.

'Aidan Hehir's thoughtful and crisply-written book is essential reading for those who believe that our ability to cope with the future must begin with frank self-criticism and continue with relentless assessment of past events, mistakes, and illusions. While I disagree with some of his conclusions, his argument cannot be ignored by honest members of the R2P choir or by R2P agnostics and atheists.' - Thomas G. Weiss, City University of New York, USA 'Aidan Hehir's critique of the 'responsibility to protect' warns against relying on moral suasion alone to change behaviour. While not all will agree with his proposed solutions, his efforts to take the word 'responsibility' seriously should be considered by all those who believe that coercive action is sometimes necessary.' - Jennifer M. Welsh, University of Oxford, UK 'In summary, the book is excellent value for money; provides an accomplished introduction to the R2P debates; should be regarded as core reading on any related reading list; and will shape the R2P debate for years to come. Although the conclusions will undoubtedly divide readers, the author should be credited for putting his head above the parapet and offering concrete normative suggestions.' -Adrian Gallagher, University of Leeds, UK, International Affairs