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VOL. 8, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Selective humanitarianism: Sovereignty, power, and the politics of intervention in Libya and Syria (2011–present)
Authors
Sangeet Singh
Abstract
The contrasting international responses to the
Libyan and Syrian uprisings of 2011 expose a fundamental contradiction at the
heart of contemporary humanitarian intervention: the tension between state
sovereignty and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). Although both crises
emerged during the Arab Spring and involved large-scale violence against
civilians, only Libya witnessed United Nations Security Council authorization
for military intervention, while repeated vetoes prevented comparable action in
Syria despite a far greater humanitarian catastrophe. This paper employs a
qualitative comparative case study approach to examine why humanitarian
intervention was authorized in one case but not the other. Drawing on
international legal frameworks, UN Security Council deliberations, and existing
scholarship, it argues that humanitarian norms are not applied uniformly but
are mediated by great-power interests, geopolitical alignments, and the
institutional politics of the Security Council. It further contends that the
NATO-led intervention in Libya, and its evolution into regime change, reshaped
Russian and Chinese perceptions of humanitarian intervention, contributing to
sustained opposition to coercive measures in Syria. The study conceptualizes
this pattern as selective humanitarianism, whereby humanitarian principles are
invoked selectively according to strategic interests rather than consistently
applied legal or moral standards. The findings demonstrate that the credibility
of R2P remains constrained by power politics, highlighting the enduring
challenge of reconciling humanitarian protection with the principles of state
sovereignty and collective security.
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Pages:36-40
How to cite this article:
Sangeet Singh "Selective humanitarianism: Sovereignty, power, and the politics of intervention in Libya and Syria (2011–present)". International Journal of Sociology and Political Science, Vol 8, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 36-40
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