Politics Research Seminar: Criminal Accountability of International Peacekeepers

Synopsis

United Nations Peacekeeping operations and other international military operations, increasingly deployed in many crisis contexts, have been established by the UN and other international organisations to ensure peace and protect victims of armed conflict. Unfortunately, during the last ten years, it has emerged that human rights violations have been committed by some peacekeepers against people who should be protected by them. They include cases of bribery and corruption, prostitution and sex-related crimes, smuggling, etc. The 2005 Zeid Report has provided the basis for further action within the UN system. Since then, several policy and legal measures have been discussed by relevant UN bodies and organs. Dr Odello offers an analysis of the steps taken within the UN to face difficult cases of misbehaviour, including possible human rights violations, by peacekeepers. Most cases are related to acts which may lead to forms of criminal accountability. Dr Odello discusses the recommendations of the Zeid Report, subsequent UN documents and legal developments, outlining the main problems in understanding the legal complexity of this phenomenon. He will provide an account of the most recent reports and developments in the UN system and consider the relationship between human rights, criminal law and international law, including their application to peacekeeping operations and personnel.

Bio

Marco Odello, JD (Rome), LLM (Nottingham), PhD (Madrid) teaches in the Department of Law and Criminology, Aberystwyth University. He is a member of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law and the General Editor of The Cambrian Law Review. He publishes in the fields of International Law, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law and International Organisations. His latest publications as co-editor and co-author include Emerging Human Rights in the 21st Century (Routledge, 2011); Ensuring and Enforcing Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Routledge, 2011); International Military Operations and International Law (Brill, 2011).