The United Nations Security Council in the Age of Human Rights

Jared Genser is Managing Director of Perseus Strategies, a law and consulting firm that focuses on human rights, humanitarian and corporate social responsibility projects. Previously, Genser was a partner in the government affairs practice of DLA Piper LLP and a management consultant with McKinsey and Company. His pro bono clients have included former Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Aung San Suu Kyi, Liu Xiaobo, Desmond Tutu and Elie Wiesel. He is author of The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention: Commentary and Guide to Practice (2014) and co-editor of The Responsibility to Protect: The Promise of Stopping Mass Atrocities in our Times (2011). He is a recipient of the American Bar Association's International Human Rights Award and the Charles Bronfman Prize. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Bruno Stagno Ugarte is Executive Director of the Security Council Report. Most recently, he was Foreign Minister of Costa Rica (2006-10) while the country served a two-year term on the Security Council (2008-9). Previously, Stagno Ugarte served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2002-6), Chief of Staff of the Foreign Ministry (1998-2000), Advisor to the Foreign Minister (1998) and Minister Counselor and Consul General in the Embassy in Paris (1994-8). Stagno Ugarte has also served as President of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (2005-8), Co-President of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Conferences (2007-9), Co-President of the UN 2005 Summit Outcome Document (2005) and Vice-President of the UN Commission of Sustainable Development (2002-4). He is a graduate of Georgetown University, Washington DC, Université de la Sorbonne-Paris III-IHEAL and Princeton University, New Jersey.

'For decades the UN Security Council skirted human rights, addressing them sporadically, reluctantly, and typically without reference to binding standards. That began to change with the end of the Cold War, as easing political tensions allowed the Council gradually to act on the fact that upholding the norms against atrocities is intimately connected to its classic mandate of defending international peace and security. Yet even since then, that evolution has been contested, particularly when the Council's permanent five members fear the topic might come back to haunt them or their close allies. This exceptional volume of essays provides a comprehensive assessment of the Council's conflicting views on human rights with more nuance, sophistication, and historical memory than anything else around. It helps us to understand how the shifting battles over human rights are being waged in the Council and provides guidance as to how the Council can more effectively defend our rights in the future.' Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch

• Part I. The Security Council and Human Rights: 1. Evolution of the security council's engagement on human rights Bruno Stagno Ugarte and Jared Genser; Part II. Thematic Work of the Security Council: 2. Civilians and armed conflict Rosa Brooks; 3. Women, peace, and security Janet Benshoof; 4. Children and armed conflict Shamala Kandiah Thompson; Part III. Securing, Maintaining, and Building Peace: 5. UN peacekeeping and human rights Mari Katayanagi; 6. Coordination with other UN organs Bertrand G. Ramcharan; Part IV. Law and Justice: 7. Accountability for international crimes – special tribunals and referrals to the international criminal court William Schabas; 8. Enhancing rule of law Axel Marschik; Part V. Case Studies: 9. Rwanda Roméo A. Dallaire and Krystal Carrier; 10. Bosnia-Herzegovina Geoffrey Nice and Nena Tromp; 11. Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta and Benedict Rogers; 12. Sudan (Darfur) Bruno Stagno Ugarte; 13. Democratic Republic of Congo Anthony W. Gambino; 14. Kosovo Søren Jessen-Petersen; 15. Libya Philippe Kirsch and Mohamed Helal; 16. Syria Richard Gowan and Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro; Part V. Conclusion.