Is the Authorization Authorized ? Powers and Practice of the UN Security Council to Authorize the Use of Force by ‘Coalitions of the Able and Willing’

EJIL (2000), Vol. 11 No. 3, 541-568

Abstract: 

This article examines the question whether it is within the Security Council’s powers to adopt
resolutions which authorize Member States to use force. This question has gained importance
since the end of the Cold War as such authorization resolutions have become the primary
instrument through which the Security Council has acted in situations where the use of
military force is considered necessary. The provisional conclusion is drawn that it is an
implied power of the Council to adopt such resolutions. However, it is also argued that both
the Charter system and principles of delegation reject carte blanche delegations and favour
authorizations which respect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council in the
United Nations collective security system. Before reaching final conclusions, the author
examines the views of the Member States and the practice of the Security Council. Member
States find the model of authorization resolutions as such generally acceptable, although
some states have expressed a concern for greater UN control. In its practice, the Council has
to a considerable extent responded to this concern. Three specific aspects are discussed: the
mandate and the duration of authorized operations, and reporting requirements. There is a
clear tendency towards greater control by the Security Council in relation to all three of
these aspects.