Community Interests and the Use of Force
The chapter discusses the philosophical foundations of the current regulation of the use of force. The
chapter argues that, in correspondence with the emergence of a sphere of substantive rules protecting common
interests of humankind, international law is also gradually developing a system of protection against egregious
breaches of these interests. This conclusion is reached through an analysis of the law and practice governing the
action of the UN Security Council as well as the law of state responsibility concerning individual and collective
reactions to serious breaches of common interests. This system is based on positive obligations imposed upon
individual states as well as UN organs, and it appears to be still rudimentary and inefficient. However, the chapter
suggests that the mere existence of this system, these shortcomings notwithstanding, has the effect of promoting
the further development of the law in search for more appropriate mechanisms of protection.