Ku Charlotte, Jacobson Harold K. (ed.) Democratic Accountability and the Use of Force in International Law

Cambridge University Press, 2002. - 468 p.The spread of democracy to a majority of the world’s states and the legitimization of the use of force by multilateral institutions such as NATO and the UNha ve been two key developments since the Second World War. In the last decade these developments have become intertwined, as multilateral forces moved from traditional peacekeeping to peace enforcement among warring parties. This book explores the experiences of nine countries (Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) in the deployment of armed forces under the UN and NATO, asking who has been and should be accountable to the citizens of these nations, and to the citizens of states who are the object of deployments, for the decisions made in such military actions. The authors conclude that national-level mechanisms have been most important in ensuring democratic accountability of national and international decision-makers.
Charlotte Ku is executive vice president and executive director of the American Society of International Law. Her recent publications include Global Governance and the Changing Face of International Law (2001), “Using Military Forces under International Auspices and Democratic Accountability” (2001), and “American Lawyers and International Competence” (with Christopher J. Borgen, 2000). She is also coeditor with Paul Diehl of the widely used collection, International Law: Classic and Contemporary Readings (1998).
Harold K. Jacobson (1929–2001) was, at the time of coediting this book, Jesse Siddal Reeves professor of political science, senior research scientist, and adjunct professor of law at the University of Michigan. His many publications include Engaging Countries: Strengthening Compliance with International Environmental Accords (coedited with Edith Brown Weiss, 1998). During his distinguished career he was awarded the Excellence in Education Award of the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; and was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science from which he also received the Award for International Scientific Cooperation.