PO 6390 - Human Rights and International Law

International law is commonly defined as the rules, principles, and norms which govern the interaction among states. In this course, we will investigate the basic question underlying this debate over the utility of international law: does international law act as a constraint on state autonomy, or is it merely used by states when it is in their self-interest? In an effort to address this question, we will focus on the fundamental principles of international law, sovereignty and non-intervention, and will consider whether these principles have been eroded in recent decades as a result of growing support for new international legal norms, including human rights and human security, through concepts such as the responsibility to protect (R2P). (4 credits)