Humanitarian intervention and human rights

We are living in the “era of human rights,” with increasing attention to them following the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Humanitarian interventions are mechanisms aimed to protecting human rights and reducing suffering, yet they pose ethical challenges due to the use of lethal force and its resulting harm to civilians. In this paper I am attempting to answer the question: Does humanitarian intervention enhance human rights or violate them in other ways? Could it be a cover for other goals? In an attempt to answer this question, the paper discusses the concept of humanitarian intervention and its relation to human rights, along with some conditions for such intervention and the ethical challenges of using lethal force. Finally, the paper presents a case study: Darfur as an example.