Humanitarian intervention, neutrality and international democracy in the world after the Cold War

Abstract

Neutrality is a concept that cannot be isolated from the notion of state sovereignty and its development after the Cold War. Over the years, the notion of state sovereignty has changed and so have international relations. Consequently, the notion of war has also changed. The international community is set on guaranteeing peace through any possible means. Nonetheless, there has also been an escalation of violence within states, which does not amount to a war between states. Moreover, there has also been a dangerous escalation of terrorist attacks that are symbolical in the sense that they do not reflect overt differences in political ideology between states or peoples. This sort of strife cannot be said to be war, but it can be termed a "private war". Hence one can speak of a "new war", which does not involve war between states or aimed at liberating states. This new reality will have to be addressed through international co-operation and hence a new international legal order has to be created: a legal order based on universally recognised rights, at the basis of which lies human dignity.