ABSTRACT
Protection of human rights correlates with peace; gross human rights violations correlate with aggression and war. This chapter shows that the normative revolution in international relations that has produced a vast international law of human rights has not, in general, been accompanied by a complete behavioral and policy revolution. Narrow or parochial nationalism remains strong in many parts of the world. The quest for national power likewise remains strong in many places. Some armed non-state actors are so committed to revolutionary violence that attacks on civilians, beheading of prisoners, and systematic rapes are all seen as legitimate tactics. There is a persistent reluctance by many powerful states to delegate national authority to international organizations for the purpose of effectively protecting internationally recognized human rights in an evenhanded way. One of the major achievements is the renaissance in attention to international criminal justice and the possible prosecution of individuals who authorize atrocities such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
