Redefining sovereignty: the use of force after the end of the Cold War: new options, lawful and legitimate?

The aim of this project, launched in 2000 and conducted in collaboration with the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt and the Ohio State University College of Law in Columbus, US was to clarify if and when -- aside from self-defence of the individual and the community -- it is legitimate for a State or group of states to undertake military action by without a mandate from the United Nations. In particular, the project considered the role of regional organizations in carrying out interventions aimed at re-establishing international peace and security. The research took an interdisciplinary approach: political, cultural and ethical considerations of the use of force were included in addition to legal aspects. Interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda were the subjects of specific studies. Particular attention was also focussed on the legal implications of the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001.
Three conferences were held: in Rome on 24-25 November 2000 (cfr. Documenti IAI0017), in Frankfurt on 7-8 June 2002 and in Columbus in 23-24 May 2003.