Abstract of talk by Dr Tim Jacoby 

This paper seeks to introduce the panel as a whole by setting out a number of key concerns with the humanitarian intervention agenda.

It starts by briefly outlining the rise of humanitarianism in the post -Cold War period, before going on to present some of the ethical dilemmas in its commitment to building peace. It then discusses the relationship between humanitarianism’s implicit questioning of sovereignty and the foreign policy imperatives of the world's most powerful states.

It is hoped that, by raising these fundamental concerns, this introductory paper can serve to contextualize subsequent contributions and act as a broad reference point for the panel and questions from the audience.