§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Law Officers have taken to secure the strengthening of international law relating to justifiable intervention in tyrannical regimes; and if he will make a statement. [162137]
§ Mr. RammellThe Law Officers have taken no recent steps in this area, which is primarily the responsibility of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Under international law, force may be used provided that its use is in exercise of the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence as recognised in Article 51 of the UN Charter; or is authorised by the United Nations Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter; or—in exceptional circumstances—is the only way to avert an overwhelming humanitarian catastrophe.
The Government put forward proposals in 1999 to assist the Security Council in reaching decisions on when intervention is justified on humanitarian grounds. Although agreement was not reached in the Security Council at that time, we have continued to take an active part in an international debate on this issue and regularly discuss it with partners. There have been many other contributions to this debate, notably by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty in its report "The Responsibility to Protect".
In this context, we welcome the UN Secretary-General's decision to set up a High Level Panel to review how the UN can respond more effectively to threats to international peace and security, including considering whether any institutional changes are required.