ABSTRACT
International organizations play crucial roles relating to human rights andhumanitarian issues. IGOs like the UN, EU, and the Arab League promotehuman rights and deliver emergency assistance to societies in crisis. NGOs (often functioning as subcontractors) work with IGOs to provide food aid and health, education, and legal services. Human crises are intertwined with political violence, poverty, environment degradation, and gross violations of human rights. In this chapter, we examine three issues-refugee protection, human rights, and international criminal law. We will look at the international law and international organizations that directly frame these issues, and we will see how they shape the contemporary international political landscape. The case studies investigate the UN response to the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the development of international criminal law and courts to hold individuals who commit genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity accountable for their actions.
