ABSTRACT
This chapter argues the geographical distribution of intervention, the increased 'demand' for humanitarian intervention and the hesitation of the West to intervene and the preference of Western states for multilateral initiative and 'soft' modes of intervention. It argues the delayed and often absent effective international reaction to acute humanitarian problems. The combination of liberal-democratic order and capitalist economy has produced the most powerful states of the current world order. But it has also produced international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and domestic forces that support universal human rights, often in conflict with inherent state preferences. The international bipolar system of the Cold War was characterized by a rough parity between two antagonistic blocs that were each led by a superpower. The chapter focuses on three main variables, at different levels of analysis: the end of bipolarity, the effect of the fundamental position of the state on decisions to intervene with force, and the role of Western societies and NGOs.
