Purpose and Structure

The main aim of this study is to asses the challenges faced by the United Nations in its involvement in countries targeted by foreign military interventions that have not been authorized by the Security Council of the United Nations. The focus is on the United Nations' response to the outcome of the military interventions at two main levels. First, at the level of the Security Council and the decisions taken there on the nature and scope of the involvement of the United Nations in the post-intervention developments in the target state. Second, at the level of the target state, the focus is on the challenges that the United Nations may face in carrying out a given mission.

The structure of the study is as follows. First, the phenomenon of nonauthorized military intervention is defined and cases are selected. Second, the United Nations' responses to the selected cases are outlined. Third, the impact of the United Nations' response on its legitimacy is assessed.

Defining Non-Authorized Military Intervention and Selecting Cases

Non-authorized military interventions

The definition of a non-authorized military intervention to be used in the context of this study is the use of force by one or more states against the territorial integrity of a state against the will of that state, without prior authorization of the Security Council of the United Nations.