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Programmes and Courses

Course syllabus International Operational Law and Peace Operations

Swedish name: Internationell operativ juridik och fredsoperationer

Course code:
2OJ005
Valid from semester:
Autumn Term 2022
Education cycle:
Second cycle
Scope:
5.0 credits
Progression:
A1N
Grading scale:
Three-grade scale
Main field of study:
International Operational Law
Department:
Department of Political Science and Law
Subject:
International and Operational Law
Language of instruction:
The teaching is conducted in English.
Decided by:
Forsknings och utbildningsnämndens kursplaneutskott
Decision date:
2020-09-23

Entry requirements

Degree of Master of Laws or Degree of Bachelor of Science in Law with Specialisation in International Law or equivalent plus English B or English 6.

Course content and structure

The overall aim of the course is to deepen the student’s understanding of how international law affects the planning and implementation of military, especially multinational, peace operations.

The course initially touches on the principles of international law for peace operations, in particular the mandate from the UN Security Council and the invitation of the host state. It then covers the international law regulation and political regulation of the use of force and coercion as well as other measures within the framework of peace operations. Finally, the course addresses issues of responsibility, particularly in relation to peace operations.

The course begins with lectures interspersed with self-study. The course then alternates between lectures and seminars, which together give the students a foundation for the final written take-home examination, which is written individually.

Type of Instruction
Seminars

Lectures

Objectives

After having completed course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding
  • identify and explain the principles of international law for different types of peace operations.

Competence and skills
  • identify and analyse the specific issues regarding state responsibility, responsibility for international organisations, and individual criminal responsibility that are raised in peace operations,
  • apply the international legal regulation of the use of force and coercion as well as other measures within the framework of different types of peace operations.

Judgement and approach
  • critically evaluate the principles of international law for different types of peace operations, including the requirements that women and men must actively participate on equal terms in peace processes related to peace operations and receive effective protection against gender-based violence in such situations.

Examination formats

Written Take-home Exam
Scope: 3.5

Grading Scale: Fail, Pass, Pass with Distinction

Assessment takes place through a written take-home examination.

Participation in compulsory seminars
Scope: 1.5

Grading Scale: Fail, Pass

Assessment takes place through mandatory seminars.

Examinations submitted late will not be graded unless special circumstances exist and the examiner finds the reason acceptable.

The examiner may decide to allow supplementation in order for a passing grade to be achieved in the course. The supplementation shall be submitted no later than three working days after announcement of the decision on supplementation, unless special circumstances exist that are acceptable to the examiner.

Grading
Grades are set according to a three-grade scale: Pass with Distinction (PwD), Pass(P) and Fail (F). Grading criteria are specified by no later than the start of the course.

To earn the grade Pass(P), the student must actively participate in mandatory seminars and earn a grade of Pass(P) on the written take-home examination.

To earn the grade Pass with Distinction (PwD) in the course, the student must meet the requirementsfor Pass(P) and earn a grade of Pass with Distinction (PwD) on the written take-home examination.

Restrictions in Number of Examinations
The number of examinations is not limited

Transitional provisions

When the course is no longer given or when the course content has changed substantially, the student has the right to be examined once per semester during a three-term period in accordance with this syllabus.

Other regulations

The course cannot be included in a degree with another course whose content fully or partially corresponds to the content of this course.

The course is given within the Swedish Defence University’s Master’s Programme in International Operational Law, and may also be given as a freestanding course.

If a student has a decision from the Swedish Defense University on special educational support due to a disability, the examiner may decide on alternative forms of examination for the student.

On completion of the course, an evaluation will be conducted under the auspices of the course director and will serve as the basis for any changes to the course.

This is an edited version of the syllabus, created to transfer the original to the education database Ladok education planning. For originals, refer to the archive.
Reading list decided date: 2024-09-20
Main literature
  • *Charter of the United Nations* (available online here: [https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter](<https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter>))
  • *Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations*, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 13 February 1946, 1 UNTS 15.
  • *Convention on the Safety or United Nations and Associated Personnel* adopted on 9 December 1994 (entered into force 15 January 1999) and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety or United Nations and Associated Personnel adopted 8 December 2005 (entered into force 19 August 2010)
  • Gill Terry, Fleck, Dieter, Boothby, William H, and Vanheusden, Alfons, *Leuven Manual on the International Law Applicable to Peace Operations, *CUP* *(2017)
  • Lamont, Carina, *International Law in the Transition to Peace: Protecting Civilians under Jus Post Bellum*, Routledge (2022)
  • United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, *Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on United Nations Support to Non-United Nations Security Forces*, UN Doc A/67/775-S/2013/110
  • United Nations, *Secretary-General’s Bulletin: Observance by United Nations Forces of International Humanitarian Law*, UN Doc ST/SGB/1999/13 [https://conduct.unmissions.org/secretary-general%E2%80%99s-bulletin-observance-united-nations-forces-international-humanitarian-law](<https://conduct.unmissions.org/secretary-general%E2%80%99s-bulletin-observance-united-nations-forces-international-humanitarian-law>)

Additional (optional) literature 
  • Aust, H. P, 'The UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy: An Effective Mechanism against Complicity of Peacekeeping Forces?' (2014) 20(1) *Journal of Conflict and Security Law* 1
  • Bothe, Michael, ‘Peace-Keeping’ in Bruno Simma (ed), *The Charter of the United Nations* (2012)
  • Bellamy, Alex J and Williams, Paul D, ‘Trends in Peace Operations, 1947-2013’ in Koops, Joachim A, MacQueen, Norrie, Tardy, Thierry, et al (eds) *The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations* (2015) 13
  • Conforti, Benedetto, *The Law and Practice of the United Nations*, Brill Nijhoff, 4th Ed (2010)
  • Farrall, Jeremy and Charlesworth, Hilary (eds) *Strengthening the Rule of Law through the United Security Council*, Routledge (2016)
  • Ferraro, Tristan, ‘The ICRC’s Legal Position on the Notion of Armed Conflict Involving Foreign Intervention and on Determining the IHL Applicable to this Type of Conflict’, *Intl Rev Red Cross* (2015) 97 1227
  • Ferstman, Carla, *International Organizations and the Fight for Accountability: The Remedies and Reparations Gap* (OUP, 2017) (**skim**)
  • Fleck, Dieter, 'The legal status of personnel involved in United Nations peace operations' (2013) 95 *International Review of the Red Cross* 613
  • Foley, Conor, *UN Peacekeeping Operations and the Protection of Civilian, *CUP (2017)
  • Grady, Kate, ‘Sex, Statistics, Peacekeepers and Power: UN Data on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and the Quest for Legal Reform’ (2016) 79(6) *Modern Law Review* 931
  • Holt, Victoria K and Tobias Berkman C, *The Impossible Mandate? Military Preparedness, the Responsibility to Protect and Modern Peace Operations* (2006), available online: [https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/105584/Complete\_Document-TheImpossible\_Mandate-Holt\_Berkman.pdf](<https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/105584/Complete_Document-TheImpossible_Mandate-Holt_Berkman.pdf>)
  • Hunt, Charles, and Zimmerman, Shannon, ‘Twenty Years of the Protection of Civilians in UN Peace Operations’ (2019) 23 (1-2) *Journal of International Peacekeeping* 50
  • Khali, Mona Ali, 'Legal Aspects of the Use of Force by United Nations Peacekeepers for the Protection of Civilians' in Haidi Willmot et al (eds) *Protection of Civilians* (2016) 207
  • Koops, Joachim A, MacQueen, Norrie, Tardy, Thierry, et al (eds) *The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations* (2015) (Chapter 1, 2 and 4)
  • Leck, Christopher, 'International Responsibility in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Command and Control Arrangements and the Attribution of Conduct' (2009) 10 *Melbourne Journal of International Law* 346 (2006) 39 *Cornell International Law Journal* 71
  • Mujezinovic Larsen, Kjetil, The Human Rights Treaty Obligations of Peacekeepers, CUP (2014)
  • Nadin, Peter, *The Use of Force in UN Peacekeeping* (Routledge, 2018)
  • Osland K & Peter M, UN Peace operations in a multipolar order: Building peace through the rule of law and bottom-up approaches, *Contemporary Security Policy* (2021) 42(2), 197-210
  • Orakhelashvili, Alexander, ‘The Legal Framework of Peace Operations by Regional Organizations’ (2007) 11(1) *Journal of International Peacekeeping* 111
  • Oswald, Bruce; “Soldier Self-Defence Symposium: The Evolution of the UN Doctrine of Self-Defence in UN Peacekeeping”, *Opinio Juris blog *(2019), online: [https://opiniojuris.org/2019/05/01/soldier-self-defense-symposium-the-evolution-of-the-un-doctrine-of-self-defence-in-un-peacekeeping/](<https://opiniojuris.org/2019/05/01/soldier-self-defense-symposium-the-evolution-of-the-un-doctrine-of-self-defence-in-un-peacekeeping/>) (accessed latest 3 September 2024)
  • \--, ‘The Rule of Law on Peace Operations: A Cornerstone of Effective Peace Operations (2004) 8(1) *Journal of International Peacekeeping* 291
  • \--, ‘Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in UN Peace Operations’ (2016) 20 (3-4) *Journal of International Peacekeeping* 143
  • \--, ‘UNAMIR: A Deployed Legal Officer’s Retrospective’ in Drew, Phillip, Oswald, Bruce, McLaughlin, Robert et al Ferst (eds) *Rwanda Revisited* (2021) 99
  • \--, Durham, Helen, and Bates, Adrian, *Documents on The Law of UN Peace Operations, *OUP* *(2nd edn 2019) (Selections)
  • Oswald, Bruce, Durham, Helen, and Bates, Adrian, *Documents on The Law of UN Peace Operations *(2nd edn 2019)
  • Pacholska, M, '(Il)legality of Killing Peacekeepers: The Crime of Attacking Peacekeepers in the Jurisprudence of International Criminal Tribunals' (2015) 13(1) *Journal of International Criminal Justice *43
  • Perova, Natalia, 'Disentangling ‘Effective Control’ Test for the Purpose of Attribution of the Conduct of UN Peacekeepers to the States and the United Nations' (2017) 86(1) *Nordic Journal of International Law* 30
  • Sari, Aurel, *“*Soldier Self-Defense Symposium: Personal Self-Defense in International Law–A Norm in Search of its Normative Foundations?”*,* *Opinio Juris Blog* (2019), online: [https://opiniojuris.org/2019/05/03/soldier-self-defense-symposium-personal-self-defense-in-international-law-a-norm-in-search-of-its-normative-foundations/](<https://opiniojuris.org/2019/05/03/soldier-self-defense-symposium-personal-self-defense-in-international-law-a-norm-in-search-of-its-normative-foundations/>) (accessed latest 3 September 2024)
  • Shraga, Daphna, 'UN Peacekeeping Operations: Applicability of International Humanitarian Law and Responsibility Operations-Related Damage' (2000) 94(2) *American Journal of International Law* 406
  • \--, 'The Secretary-General’s Bulletin on the Observance by United Nations Forces of International Humanitarian Law–A Decade Later' (2009) 39 *Israel Yearbook on Human Rights* 357
  • Spikers, Otto, ‘Responsibility of the Netherlands for the Genocide in Srebrenica’ (2014) 18 (3-4) *Journal of Peacekeeping* 281
  • White, Nigel, ‘Peacekeeping and International Law’ in Koops, Joachim A, MacQueen, Norrie, Tardy, Thierry, et al (eds) *The Oxford Handbook of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations* (2015) 43
  • Wills, Siobhán; *Protecting Civilians: The Obligations of Peacekeepers,* OUP (2009)
  • van Steenberghe, Raphael and Lesaffre, Pauline, “The ICRC’s ‘support-based approach’: A suitable but incomplete theory”, *Questions of International Law*, Zoom In, May 31 2019, online: [https://www.qil-qdi.org/the-icrcs-support-based-approach-a-suitable-but-incomplete-theory/](<https://www.qil-qdi.org/the-icrcs-support-based-approach-a-suitable-but-incomplete-theory/>)
  • Zwanenburg, Martin, “The Use of OSINT for Military Operations Abroad under International Humanitarian and International Human Rights Law”, 23 *Chinese Journal of International Law* (2024) [https://doi.org/10.1093/chinesejil/jmae027](<https://doi.org/10.1093/chinesejil/jmae027>)

Case Law
  • *Agim Behrami and Bekir Behrami v France* (Application No. 71412/01) and *Ruzhdi Saramati v France, Germany and Norway* (Application No. 78166/01), ECHR Grand Chamber Admissibility Decision, 2 May 2007
  • *Certain Expenses of the United Nations* *(article17, paragraph 2, of the Charter)* (Advisory Opinion) [1962] ICJ Rep 151
  • *Difference Relating to Immunity from Legal Process of a Special Rapporteur of the Commission of Human Rights *(Advisory Opinion) [1999] ICJ Rep 3
  • *Prosecutor v Issa Hassan Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, Special Court for Sierra Leone*, 2 March 2009, Case No SCSL-04-15-T
  • *Reparation for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations* (Advisory Opinion)* *[1949] ICJ Rep 174
  • *The Mothers of Srebrenica v The Netherlands*, Supreme Court, Judgment of 19 July 2019,
  • ECLI:NL:HR:2019:1223
  • *The Netherlands v Hasan Nuhanovic*, Supreme Court of the Netherlands, First Chamber 12/03324, 6 September 2013
  • *Other (optional) instruments and reports*
  • *Charter of the African Union*, opened for signature 25 May 1963, OAU Doc. (entered into force 13 September 1963) (*arts II and III*) [https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36024.html](<https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b36024.html>)
  • Report of the High-Level International Conference on the Protection of Civilians, The Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians, Kigali, Rwanda, 28-29 May 2015
  • *Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union*, adopted 9 July 2002 (entered into force on 26 December 2003) [https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f4b1d374.html](<https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f4b1d374.html>)
  • United Nations, Our Common Agenda, Policy Brief 9, A New Agenda for Peace (2023), online: [https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/our-common-agenda-policy-brief-new-agenda-for-peace-en.pdf](<https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/our-common-agenda-policy-brief-new-agenda-for-peace-en.pdf>) (to be addressed at Summit for Peace, 20-23 September 2024)
  • United Nations, Guidelines for the Development of Rules of Engagement [https://www.navedu.navy.mi.th/stg/databasestory/data/laukniyom/workjob/bigcountry-workjob/UN-Publications/120-ROE\_Guidelines.pdf](<https://www.navedu.navy.mi.th/stg/databasestory/data/laukniyom/workjob/bigcountry-workjob/UN-Publications/120-ROE_Guidelines.pdf>)
  • United Nations, Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on United Nations Support to Non-United Nations Security Forces: Guidance Note and text of the Policy (2015), available online: [https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/Inter-Agency-HRDDP-Guidance-Note-2015.pdf](<https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/Inter-Agency-HRDDP-Guidance-Note-2015.pdf>)
  • United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, *Report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations on Uniting Our Strengths for Peace: Politics, Partnership and People*, UN Doc A/70/95-S/2015/446 (*skim Parts C and D*) [https://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-high-level-independent-panel-peace-operations-uniting-our-strengths-peace](<https://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-high-level-independent-panel-peace-operations-uniting-our-strengths-peace>)
  • United Nations General Assembly, *Evaluation of the Implementation and Results of Protection of Civilians Mandates in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations*, UN Doc A/68/787 [http://dag.un.org/handle/11176/387416](<http://dag.un.org/handle/11176/387416>)
  • United Nations Secretary-General, *A Comprehensive Strategy to Eliminate Future Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations*, UN Doc. A/59/710 (2005) (skim) [https://reliefweb.int/report/world/comprehensive-strategy-eliminate-future-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-united-nations](<https://reliefweb.int/report/world/comprehensive-strategy-eliminate-future-sexual-exploitation-and-abuse-united-nations>)
  • *United Nations Secretary-General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse,* UN Doc. ST/SGB/2003/1 (2003) [https://www.unhcr.org/protection/operations/405ac6614/secretary-generals-bulletin-special-measures-protection-sexual-exploitation.html](<https://www.unhcr.org/protection/operations/405ac6614/secretary-generals-bulletin-special-measures-protection-sexual-exploitation.html>)
  • United Nations Security Council Resolution 2272 (2016) of 11 March 2016 on sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers [http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/2272](<http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/2272>)
  • United Nations, *Improving Security of United Nations Peacekeepers: We Need to Change the Way We Are Doing Business*, 19 December 2017 (*skim*) [https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/improving-security-of-united-nations-peacekeepers-independent-report](<https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/improving-security-of-united-nations-peacekeepers-independent-report>)
  • United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, *Report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations on Uniting Our Strengths for Peace: Politics, Partnership and People*, UN Doc A/70/95-S/2015/446 (*skim Part III*) [https://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-high-level-independent-panel-peace-operations-uniting-our-strengths-peace](<https://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-high-level-independent-panel-peace-operations-uniting-our-strengths-peace>)
  • *Third-Party Liability: Temporal and Financial Limitations*, UN Doc. A/RES/52/247 (1998) (skim) [https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/257799](<https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/257799>)