§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) of 26 April 1999,Official Report, column 35, if he will list the provisions in international law which make military intervention legally justifiable. [83547]
§ Mr. Tony LloydThe United Nations Charter preserves the right of a state or group of states to use force in self-defence in accordance with Article 51; the Charter also allows the use of force under the authorisation of the Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the Charter. Cases have also arisen, as in Kosovo, when in the light of all the circumstances the use of force is justifiable in support of purposes laid down by the Security Council when that was the only means to avert an immediate and overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe.