ABSTRACT
In chapter 4 I argued that key theorists understood the Yugoslav break-up and wars through a critical framework. For these theorists and commentators the Yugoslav break-up and wars were an example of a new type of conflict and an illustration of why the old framework of rights based upon states was no longer suitable. In place, these theorists argue the need for new sets of cosmopolitan rights and protections, which the international community or cosmopolitan groups within warring states might promote. Representative of this critical theoretical point of view, Kaldor asks: ‘What did it matter, in practical terms, whether Yugoslavia was the internationally recognised state or Bosnia?’ (2001: 118). This chapter and the next will critically engage with these approaches.
