ABSTRACT
The international community has performed poorly in stopping genocide and other mass atrocities. The list of failures to stop atrocities is much longer than the list of successes, and even the few successes have not been unqualified successes. The world is awash with norms intended to prevent, stop, or punish atrocities. The 1948 Genocide Convention outlawed genocide and requires states to stop it. The conduct of war has been governed by international law and norms since the 19th century, culminating in the 1948 Geneva Conventions. Academics spend a lot of time looking for normative "impact". The institutions created to address atrocity situations are not up to the task. The UN Security Council (UNSC) is a central actor in responding to atrocities. Yet, it has failed again and again to adequately respond to atrocity situations. Regional organizations may have the most urgent interests in addressing an atrocity situation.
