Humanitarian Intervention

In this chapter, we provide an overview of the norm and practice of humanitarian intervention and explore the different ethical and moral costs and benefits of the norm and the different forms it can take. In doing so, we consider the entire lifecycle of an intervention from the decision to take military action to the laws governing military intervention and to the question of what happens after intervention. To complement the ethical debates, some empirical patterns and drivers of humanitarian intervention are highlighted. We conclude with lessons for the future.