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Ausgabe 2-2007

Themenschwerpunkt: Humanitäres Völkerrecht / International Humanitarian Law

INHALT

Editorial | download full article as pdf
Seite III

Themenschwerpunkt: Humanitäres Völkerrecht

Beiträge aus Sicherheitspolitik und Friedensforschung

Forum

Dokumentation

  • Haager Landkriegsordnung: Auszüge
    Seite 93

  • Wissenschaftliches Symposium: Die Europäische Union im 21. Jahrhundert
    Bernhard Rinke
    Seite 94

Neuerscheinung
Seite 96

Annotationen
Seite 97

Besprechungen | download full article as pdf
Seite 98

ENGLISH ABSTRACTS

Durchsetzung eines menschenrechtlichen Mindeststandards im bewaffneten Konflikt
Hans-Joachim Heintze
The following text analyses the different strategies of the human rights organizations trying to enforce humanitarian law and protect human rights. The emphasis lies on situations during armed conflicts. How can international laws enforce the protection of victims without fomenting a contradiction between humanitarian law and human rights law? Taking a closer look at the American and European Human Rights Convention it is necessary to identify possible obstacles. Another aspect demands an answer to the question of how civilians have been harmed and who will pay the costs.

Der Beitrag des Roten Kreuzes zur Verbreitung und Entwicklung des humanitären Völkerrechts
Heike Spieker
In pursuing the aim of preventing and alleviating human suffering, protecting human life and health, and ensuring respect for the human being, it is the mandate of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to maintain and disseminate the Fundamental Principles of the Movement. An Integral part of this mandate is to foster a widespread understanding of international humanitarian law and to support any development thereof. The author examines the different components’ activities directed at promoting the humanitarian law which is applicable in armed confl icts as well as their contributions to its further development.

Verletzungen des humanitären Völkerrechts im aktuellen Kriegsgeschehen: Ein Überblick
Manuel Probst
International humanitarian law is highly developed and extensively codified but its application is almost exclusively limited to international conflicts, i.e. armed clashes between state armies. Written law dealing with non-international armed conflicts, i.e. conflicts in which at least one party is a non-conventional armed group, can only be found in Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions and in the Additional Protocol II. Intended to protect civilians in wars Article 3 in particular specifies binding rules for regular and irregular combatants. Since all current wars are of a non-international nature we must ask to what extent this very basic article of international humanitarian law is violated during them.

Die Kleinen hängt man, die Großen lässt man laufen
Internationale Strafverfolgung von Staatseliten: Zwischen Rechtsstreit und Politikum
Mayeul Hiéramente/Patricia Schneider
The authors describe one of the challenges of international law enforcement: the immunity of governmental officials to prosecution. They point to the privileged government elites and discuss the limitations and impacts of the immunity of bestowed upon high ranking officials. Examing the relationship between the immunity and the prosecution of political elites, the authors, present the instruments of national, semi-international and international courts and the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in particular. They conclude that the immunity of governmental officials is necessary in order to ensure the capacity of the government to carry out its duties. However, immunity should only last as long as the person holds office.
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The Genocide Case Before the International Court of Justice
Martin Mennecke/Christian J. Tams
Genocide, the crime of crimes, will be introduced on the example of the Genocide Case between Serbia/Montenegro and Bosnia/Herzegovina. The International Court of Justice will be examined based on its duties and boundaries. The paper leads through the blueprint of a court trail. It will show how to gain access to the court then discuss one theoretical approach on the main subject: Genocide. As a logical conclusion the courts abilities to prevent and punish, genocide will be introduced though the question of reparations. The role of the International Court of Justice will be analyzed and critically scrutinized.

Frieden entwickeln?
Eine kritische Analyse der Strategien der Internationalen Gebergemeinschaft zur Friedenskonsolidierung in Ruanda
Susanne Buckley-Zistel
In response to the negative impact of development assistance on the Rwandan genocide international donors now seek to contribute to the consolidation of peace. Toward this end, their projects focus on democratisation and institution-building. Although important for building structures for peaceful coexistence, this strategy reveals that the donors’ perspective is informed by an understanding of conflict as being over issues, to the exclusion of identity aspects. In Rwanda, the antagonism between Hutu and Tutsi identity groups lies at the heart of the conflict and determines how the groups perceive and use the newly created institutional structures. This does not always contribute to building peace. It is thus paramount that donors include identity aspects in their analyses and project designs.

Mutual distrust and threats in the Middle East: Is there a chance for dialogue?
Margret Johannnsen
Nuclear proliferation in the Middle East is driven by motives not essentially different from those behind the nuclear arms race of the Cold War Periode. To argue otherwise, in particular while assuming that rational behaviour with regard to developing a nuclear option and to handling a nuclear inventory is alien to the Middle East, betrays a bias counterproductive to overcoming mutual threat perceptions. When tackling the problem of nuclear proliferation we must take into account the hidden nexus between conflict regarding territory and self-determination on the one hand and the proliferation issue on the other. The author argues for a comprehensive approach that puts seemingly unconnected issues such as a nuclear-weaponsfree-zone and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, all on the negotiating table.

Inhaltsanalytische Modelle zur Identifi kation und Analyse von ethischen Rechtfertigungen politischer Gewalt
Susanne Halverscheid/Erich H. Witte
The purpose of this article is to present two theoretical frameworks that have been useful in identifying and analyzing ethical justifications for politically motivated acts of violence. The first concept is based on Kienpointner’s model of argumentation patterns1 and aims at extracting justifications based upon argumentation analysis. The underlying ethical principles can then be examined by employing the prescriptive attribution model2 that differentiates between twelve ethical positions. The analytical frameworks will be presented and exemplified by findings obtained in the analysis of justifications of war and terror.