Use of Force under UN Security Council mandates

International Conference, Grenoble, France, 22-23 November 2012

The Centre for International Security and European Studies (CESICE) of the University of Grenoble, France, will host an international conference on the Use of Force under UN Security Council mandates the 22^nd and 23^rd November 2012.

This international conference is the result of cooperation between academics and the military, especially the French Army, and aims to examine the legal and practical aspects of military interventions authorised by the UN Security Council. It is organised by Dr. Karine Bannelier, Ass. Professor of International Law at the University of Grenoble and Commissaire Capitaine Cyril Pison, Legad (Conseiller juridique du Général Adjoint Opération du Commandement de la défense aérienne et des opérations aériennes).

Over the past decade, the UN Security Council authorised on several occasions certain coalitions and States acting independently to “take all necessary measures”, including military intervention, in order to achieve various objectives, such as the fight against terrorism or the protection of civilians and civilian populated areas in situations of armed conflict. This has led to an increasing number of interventions in different States, such as Kosovo, Afghanistan, Ivory Coast or Libya, ranging from police missions to strategic bombings.

The development of this practice of UNSC authorisations, as well as the diversity of their objectives and the problem of interpretation concerning their implementation, give rise to a number of key legal questions in the fields of jus ad bellum and jus in bello, ie: In which context is it acceptable to use armed force? Which are the rules of engagement? Which are the criteria to be applied when choosing the types of weapon used as well as the targets? How could we strengthen the transparency of use of force mandates and achieve enhanced monitoring and review process? Which are the ramifications of international responsibility in this field?

The purpose of this two day conference will be to allow exchange between researchers and military experts concerning all these and other aspects.

For the programme of this conference (in pdf) please click here.

For more information please visit the CESICE website: http://cesice.upmf-grenoble.fr