"A Critical Assessment of the UN's Moral Responsibility in the 'Spill-Over' of the Genocide from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of the Congo"

Abstract

Although institutional (moral) responsibility constitutes a critical component of contemporary international politics, it remains an uncharted field of inquiry in the field of International Relations. The primary objective of this dissertation is to put forward a theoretical argument upon which to build a theory of institutional responsibility, which will enable us to critically evaluate the UN’s moral responsibility in the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II, namely the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which traces its origins in the “spill-over” of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. An analytical presentation of the background of the conflict and of the objectives and actions of the parties involved is vital in the effort to critically assess the UN’s moral accountability in this conflict. Enquiries related to the UN moral responsibility, guarantee the efficient prevention of new holocausts or genocides in the future. Indeed the UN was primarily founded on the slogan “Never Again”. Thus the theoretical engagement in this field has some very tangible and humanitarian implications. The critical stance towards the UN, adopted in this dissertation, is a constructive critique which has as primary objective the more efficient functioning of the UN in the future.

Date of Award	2006
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aberystwyth University
Supervisor	Toni Ann Erskine (Supervisor)