A new moral hazard? Military intervention, peacekeeping and the International Criminal Court

The newly established International Criminal Court (ICC) promises justice to the victims of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Past offenders can be punished, while future potential offenders may be deterred by the prospect of punishment. Yet, justice is no substitute for intervention for the benefit of people at acute risk of being victimized. The Court may create a new moral hazard problem if the promise of ex post justice makes it easier for states to shy away from incurring the costs of intervention. This article indirectly tests for the relevance of this potential problem by estimating the determinants of ratification delay to the Rome Statute of the ICC. I find that countries, which in the past have been more willing to intervene in foreign civil wars and more willing to contribute troops to multinational peacekeeping missions are more likely to have ratified the Statute (early on). This suggests that the Court is a complement to, not a substitute for intervention

Enforcing Against Human Rights Violations in Internal Conflict

Moderator: Scott L. Silliman, Executive Director, Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, Duke University School of Law Overview: Barbara Harff, Professor of Political Science, U.S. Naval Academy Cambodia: Rudy J. Rummel, Professor of Political Science, University of Hawaii and President, Haiku Institute of Peace Research Rwanda & Burundi: René Lemarchand, Regional Consultant on Issues of Governance and Democracy, USAID/REDSO Liberia: Honorable Edward Brynn, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of Stat

Bogus refugees? The determinants of asylum migration to Western Europe

This article analyses the determinants of asylum migration to Western Europe. Potential asylum seekers balance the costs of staying versus the costs of migrating. Estimation results confirm that economic hardship and economic discrimination against ethnic minorities lead to higher flows of asylum seekers. However, political oppression, human rights abuse, violent conflict and state failure are also important determinants. Migration networks and geographical proximity are important facilitators of asylum flows as predicted by theory. Colonial experience, religious similarity and casual contact with the developed world (aid, trade and tourism) are not. Natural disasters and famines are also not statistically significant determinants. These events are typically short-term and unexpected, whereas asylum migration to Western Europe requires preparatory planning. If Western European countries want to tackle the root causes of asylum migration, then they need to undertake policy measures that promote economic development, democracy, respect for human rights and peaceful conflict resolution in countries of origin