ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of the Cold War, the nature of war itself was clearly
changing, arguably necessitating a new framework within which to consider
responses by the international community. Termed post-modern wars by
some commentators,1 and ‘‘New Wars’’ by Mary Kaldor, the conflicts that
emerged in the 1990s were characterised by:
a blurring of the distinctions between war (usually defined as violence
between states or organized political groups for political motives), organized crime (violence undertaken by privately organized groups for
private purposes, usually financial gain) and large-scale violations of
human rights (violence undertaken by states or politically organized
groups against individuals).2
