As a complement to the background note on the positions concerning the 14 April 2018 military response to the poison gas attack on Douma assumed by the Netherlands and key allies, the present note... Show moreAs a complement to the background note on the positions concerning the 14 April 2018 military response to the poison gas attack on Douma assumed by the Netherlands and key allies, the present note provides a general overview of the relevant legal norms and the academic debate surrounding the issues of interstate use of force and humanitarian intervention, including reform proposals for the way forward. It does not claim to provide an exhaustive treatment of the subjects covered and the available literature on them. Rather, its intention is to provide context, background, and stimulate debate among the members of the Expert Group. Show less
The book The United Nations, the Evolution of Global Values and International Law by Otto Spijkers describes how moral values have determined the founding of the United Nations Organization in 1945... Show moreThe book The United Nations, the Evolution of Global Values and International Law by Otto Spijkers describes how moral values have determined the founding of the United Nations Organization in 1945 and the evolution of its purposes, principles and policies since then. A detailed examination of the proceedings of the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco demonstrates that the drafting of the United Nations Charter was significantly influenced by global moral values, i.e. globally shared beliefs distinguishing right from wrong, good from bad, and the current from a preferable state-of-the-world. A common desire to eradicate war, poverty, inhuman treatment, and to halt the exploitation of peoples, has led to an affirmation of the values of peace and security, social progress and development, human dignity and the self-determination of all peoples. All these values ended up in the UN Charter. The book further analyzes how the United Nations, and especially its General Assembly, has continued to influence the maturing of global morality through contributions to the values-debate, and to the translation of these values into the language of international law, including the law on the use of force, sustainable development, human rights and the right to self-determination. Show less
