Democratic Accountability and the Use of Force in International Law

Nine democracies discussed (Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Russia, UK and US) contribute to military operations sanctioned by the UN and NATO. On whose authority, and with what oversight? This analysis of internationally-authorized armed interventions and democratic accountability raises concerns about the nation-state, international organizations, and democratic armed forces.

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 UN have been two key developments since World War II. 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, UK and US) 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 assuring democratic accountability of national and international decision-makers.