ABSTRACT
The term ‘policymaker’ refers here to a wide variety of actors. at a supranational level, it includes international and regional organizations (both the state members and the bureaucracies), particularly the Un and its agencies. at the national level, it includes the executive and legislative branches of government (and at times even the judicial branch), as well as the bureaucracies and even political parties. This chapter will examine how these policymakers have responded to conflict in recent years with the various means at their disposal: statements, diplomacy/mediation, humanitarian aid, sanctions, military intervention and judicial measures. It will then analyze the internal dynamics of this group of actors: the workings and concerns of international organizations, as well as state interests (security and economic) and their reputations. Finally, it will examine how external actors (the media, public and academia) influence policymakers, enabling a better understanding of the responses they choose (or choose not) to make.
