The UN and Human Rights: Who Guards the Guardians?
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Through an analysis of UN operations
including international territorial administration, refugee camps, peacekeeping,
the implementation of sanctions and the provision of humanitarian aid, Guglielmo
Verdirame shows that the powers exercised by the UN carry a serious risk of
human rights abuse. The International Law Commission has codified and developed
the law of institutional responsibility, but, while indispensable, these
principles and rules cannot on their own ensure compliance and accountability.
The 'liberty deficit' of the UN and of other international organisations, thus
remains an urgent legal and political problem. Some solutions may be available;
indeed, recent state and institutional practice offers interesting examples in
this respect. But at a fundamental level we need to ask ourselves whether,
judged on the basis of the principle of liberty, the power shift from states to
international organisations is always beneficial.
