op 18 front pages-converted - The Watson Institute for International ...

Third, an improved framework would consolidate and strengthen
key innovations of the last two years. Path-breaking steps in the
human rights area included convening the first emergency
session by the Commission on Human Rights; deploying the
first field monitors by the Centre for Human Rights in countries
of origin; appointing a Special Rapporteur with broader
authority to monitor human rights and report to the Security
Council; assigning human rights responsibilities to UNHCR
protection officers; establishing a Commission of Experts to
investigate cases of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions;
and, most notably, creating an international tribunal to
prosecute war crimes.
Such breakthroughs require political support, financial
resources, and prompt follow-up. Institutionalizing these gains
would have enormous significance both in the former Yugoslavia
and for future situations where strong and effective
machinery also is necessary. Constraints on resources, bureaucratic
impediments, and a lack of political will seriously
have limited their impact to date.
Fourth, an improved institutional framework would capitalize
on experiences regarding the use of military forces to support
humanitarian operations. This conflict, like Somalia, saw the
commitment of U.N. troops for the expressed purpose of
protecting humanitarian activities and personnel. As in northern
Iraq, troops played a direct delivery as well as a support
role. While the uses of the military here were not unique, they
are nevertheless instructive as a major example of post-Cold
War involvement.
We recommend the development of a protocol to help
ensure a more effective humanitarian and military interface in
future settings of armed conflict. Such a protocol should
articulate a clear division of labor between humanitarian and
military elements within the United Nations, detailing the
respective assistance and protection responsibilities and accountabilities
of each.
We also recommend the development of manuals for use
by U.N. humanitarian and military personnel. Separate manuals
for each set of personnel would help avoid situations in
which individual United Nations organizations and national
peacekeeping contingents approach their respective tasks dif-
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