International Law and Ethnic Conflict: The Series in English Fiction, 1850-1930

The breakup of the former Yugoslavia demonstrates the limitations of international law in the face of ethnic conflict. The contributors to this book examine the various roles international law and international institutions play in dealing with ethnic conflict.

International Law and Ethnic Conflict first covers general philosophical, historical, and cultural issues arising from attempts to apply international law to ethnic conflict. The authors assess the legitimacy of demands based on group identity, the legal rights of ethnic groups, the validity of various entitlement claims, and the meaning of statehood. They then consider the institutional and policy responses of international organizations and states in their attempts to deal with ethnic conflict and analyze the extent to which various forms of intervention prove successful. In what ways, the authors ask, might international law limit the use of force, tighten prohibitions on genocide, strengthen protection for refugees, and reevaluate standards of citizenship and ethnic identity?

"Arguments advanced by the various authors in this book bring into sharp relief many of the questions that will continue to be posed as we enter the twenty-first century, and they offer a valuable framework for policy debates among lawyers, politicians, military strategists, and the new breed of conflict resolution experts."--Hurst Hannum, Tufts University"Under David Wippman's able editorship, this book is a useful work that constitutes a significant contribution to scholarship in the field of international law and ethnic conflict."--Richard B. Bilder, University of WisconsinThe breakup of the former Yugoslavia demonstrates the limitations of international law in the face of ethnic conflict. The contributors to this book examine the various roles international law and international institutions play in dealing with ethnic conflict. International Law and Ethnic Conflict first covers general philosophical, historical, and cultural issues arising from attempts to apply international law to ethnic conflict. The authors assess the legitimacy of demands based on group identity, the legal rights of ethnic groups, the validity of various entitlement claims, and the meaning of statehood. They then consider the institutional and policy responses of international organizations and states in their attempts to deal with ethnic conflict and analyze the extent to which various forms of intervention prove successful.