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Part II Collective Security and the Non-Use of Force, Ch.14 Regional Organizations and Arrangements: Authorization, Ratification, or Independent Action

Erika De Wet

From: The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law

Edited By: Marc Weller

From: Oxford Public International Law (http://opil.ouplaw.com). (c) Oxford University Press, 2023. All Rights Reserved.date: 31 May 2023

Subject(s):
Regional organizations — UN Charter — Gross violations — Disarmament — Collective security — International peace and security

This chapter focuses on the African Union’s (AU) military operations since the turn of the century and the legal framework pertaining to its regional security. It examines the AU’s increasing involvement in peace operations since the late 1990s in the context of its relationship with the United Nations Charter. The chapter first clarifies the meaning of the term ‘regional organizations’ based on Article 53(1) of the UN Charter before discussing whether and to what extent regional enforcement action can be taken under regional arrangements or by regional agencies without the authorization of the UN Security Council. It then evaluates the legal basis of the AU’s military operations and their relationship with the UN Security Council, citing the cases of Burundi, Sudan, Somalia, and the Comoros.

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