“When to Intervene Forcibly in Interstate Relations”, a Conversation with Prof. Michael Doyle

On 12 May 2016, UNU will host “When to Intervene Forcibly in Interstate Relations”, a conversation with Prof. Michael Doyle, Director of the Columbia Global Policy Initiative and University Professor of Columbia University. This event will start at 6:30 p.m. on 12 May 2016 at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.

What should our rules for international non-intervention and intervention be to adhere to three (potentially contradictory) principles? The first is the commitment to humanitarian assistance, irrespective of international borders; the second is respect for the significance of communitarian, national self-determination; and, the third is accommodation to the reality of international anarchy — the absence of reliable world government — that puts a premium on self-help national security.

Prof. Michael Doyle will join UNU Rector David M. Malone for a conversation exploring these questions in relation to John Stuart Mill’s classic (1859) attempt to outline an ethical doctrine of non-intervention and intervention. He intends to raise contemporary examples (including Libya 2011) of the theoretical arguments he discusses.

The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation: you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all audience members are invited to enjoy the food and drinks that will be served while exchanging ideas and making new contacts.

Please note that this event will be in English only; Japanese interpretation will not be provided. Advance registration (by 11 May) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.

About the Speaker

Michael W. Doyle is the Director of the Columbia Global Policy Initiative and University Professor of Columbia University where he is affiliated with the School of International and Public Affairs, the Department of Political Science, and the Law School. His research interests include international relations theory, international law, international peace-building and the United Nations. From 2006 to 2013, Doyle was an individual member and the chair of the UN Democracy Fund, a fund established in 2005 by the UN General Assembly to promote grass-roots democratisation around the world.

Prof. Doyle previously served as assistant secretary-general and special adviser for policy planning to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He has received two career awards from the American Political Science Association for his scholarship and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. He has an AB and PhD from Harvard University.

For his brilliant, youthful engagement with Immanuel Kant’s ideas, among other achievements, Michael Doyle has long been considered one of the US’s leading political scientists.