“Pacifism is a very good idea; unfortunately, it doesn’t work,” insists Bernard Kouchner, the former French foreign minister, co-founder of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and staunch advocate of humanitarian intervention.

But can a military campaign ever be strictly humanitarian? Or is the defence of human rights just a facade for imperialist agendas?

Kouchner is one of the architects of the concept of the right to interfere and has always argued that the West has a responsibility to protect human life, regardless of international borders.

Joining the discussion are Lindsey German, convenor of the Stop the War Coalition • Barak Seener, Royal United Services Institute • Hamza Hamouchene president of the Algerian Solidarity Campaign

17 Nov 2014