Abstract:
This essay describes tensions that arise between two types of public goods enshrined in the United Nations
Charter—the right to self-determination of people(s) within a territorial state and peace and security—in situations
in which recognized governments in conflict-torn countries request military assistance from third states against
opposition groups. It illuminates legal challenges in reconciling these public goods in practice, at a time when collective
peacekeeping mechanisms appear unable to prevent or terminate civil conflicts and their destabilizing
regional impact.