The Existing Explanations

This Chapter looks at prior writings on atrocity investigations and the UNSC with the goal of identifying the reasons for which the UNSC creates international atrocities investigations. In doing so, this Chapter identifies a group of reasons according to which a member of the UNSC would not support an atrocities investigation, and a separate group of explanations for why UNSC members would create such an investigation. It further presents how past studies have understood the UNSC’s work in areas beyond atrocities investigations. Throughout its analysis, this Chapter identifies how the prior writings on the UNSC do not adequately respond to the question posed in this book.