The Manual is intended to provide for the first time an authoritative exposé and critical assessment of the law applicable to the planning and conduct of peace operations. It will consist of black letter rules and an accompanying commentary, offering a detailed guide to areas of international law specifically relevant to the conduct of peace operations.

The project is inspired by the 1994 San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflict at Sea, the 2006 San Remo Manual on the Law of Non-International Armed Conflict and the 2010 HPCR Manual on the International Law Applicable to Air and Missile Warfare. It will aim at staff personnel, senior level commanders and legal advisors, alongside academics.

The Manual will be published by a leading academic press in English to enable it to reach the widest possible readership. Translation of the black letter rules into one or more other UN languages will be envisaged after publication of the original English version.

I am contributing to the management of this project as a member of the Project Management Team as well as to the research as a member of the Group of Experts drafting the black letter rules.

A guest lecture by Professor Michael Schmitt, Chairman of the International Law Department at the United States Naval War College and author of over 120 books and articles on law and conflict.

Monday 11th March
5.30pm-6.30pm
Building One: Bateman Lecture Theatre, University of Exeter.

This presentation will describe the process that led to the preparation of the  ”Tallinn Manual” . This manual is being used in draft format by a number of countries as they develop their cyber strategies and publish rules of engagement for their cyber forces. The project was sponsored by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence. Professor Schmitt will also discuss those issues that caused the International Group of Experts particular problems with respect to applying the law of armed conflict to cyber operations.

Read the full article here.

Aurel Sari and Ramses A. Wessel (eds.)

Over the course of the last decade, the European Union has launched more than twenty crisis management missions, including large-scale military and civilian deployments in the Balkans and more modest security sector and monitoring missions in Georgia, Guinea Bissau and elsewhere. The purpose of the present working paper is to assess the role of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the crisis management operations led by the EU. This working paper – edited by Aurel Sari and Ramses A. Wessel − brings together contributions from recognized experts on two cross-cutting themes: the duty to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the conduct of EU crisis management missions and the contribution that such missions make to the Union’s long-standing policy of promoting human rights at the international level.

The choice of these two themes reflects the dual role that human rights play in the external activities of the EU. On the one hand, its founding Treaties direct the Union to respect human rights whenever it acts on the international scene, including in the field of crisis management. On the other hand, the promotion of human rights at the international level is one of the principal foreign policy objectives of the EU’s external action as a whole. In practice, the implementation of this dual commitment to ensure respect for and to promote human rights raises a series of questions. These range from the consistency of the regulatory framework and the EU’s impending accession to the European Convention on Human Rights to more general questions about the extra-territorial applicability of the relevant legal instruments and the EU’s potential and willingness to act as a role model for other organizations in this field.

The contributions to this working paper engage with a number of these issues. Hadewych Hazelzet argues that over the past decade the EU has made a very important indirect contribution to human rights protection by helping to build the rule of law and stability in many post-crisis situations around the world. Yet, it remains difficult to explicitly integrate human rights concerns into the missions’ mandates. Gentian Zyberi addresses the question of to which extent the EU would be bound by general principles of international law, including a large number of international human rights standards. The legal framework governing the protection and promotion of human rights at EU level is analyzed by Frederik Naert, who analyses the relevant provisions in the EU Treaties. As to the application of the European Convention on Human Rights, Heike Krieger argues that the judicial enforcement of civilians’ human rights during military operations abroad is a highly contentious issue, because of the large number of unresolved legal issues. Marten Zwanenburg takes up the question of the application of international humanitarian law and argues that the EU may indeed itself become a party to an armed conflict when an EU-led operation becomes involved in hostilities. Finally, the democratic oversight of the application of human rights principles by the EU is analysed by Wanda Troszczynska-Van Genderen in discussing the human rights-related priorities of the European Parliament in relation to the Union’s security and defence policy.

The appointee will have a strong record of excellent publications including world-leading research and a portfolio suitable for inclusion in the REF. The appointee should also demonstrate the ability to obtain research funding; have a well-developed research agenda; and a track record of delivering a portfolio of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The appointee will also need to demonstrate a record of performance in administrative duties.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the Dean of the College, Prof Robert Van de Noort (tel: 01392-724461, email: R.Van-De-Noort@exeter.ac.uk) to discuss the posts further. If you would like an informal discussion before deciding to apply, please contact Professor James Devenney (j.p.devenney@exeter.ac.uk).

For appointments at Professorial level the starting salary will be commensurate with experience and achievements. For appointments at Associate Professor level the starting salary is likely to be from £51,424 subject to experience.

To view further details and apply online please click here.

The closing date for completed applications is 18^th July 2012.

The University of Exeter is an equal opportunity employer which is ‘Positive About Disabled People’: if you have a disability, you should mention this in your application. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented in the workforce.