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David_J_Balan comments on Morality and International Humanitarian Law - Less Wrong
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There have been proposals for an independent force under the control of the UN. But I don't really have a problem with enforcement meaning nations warring for basically the same reasons I don't have a problem with the state using violence to enforce domestic law. For various reasons the kind of nations that are going to be involved in enforcement are going to be more democratic, more liberal, more legitimate and more powerful than the states run by war criminals. And the actions of the enforcement force will be observed far more closely by than the actions of your average autocracy. If this isn't obvious I guess I can go into it more. All this doesn't mean enforcement will never ever ever lead to abuse, but crimes during enforcement will be substantially less likely than crimes during your average ethnic conflict or authoritarian territory grab.
If there were an external force that was decent enough and powerful enough, then it would make sense to have that force actually decide which side is right on the merits, and that would pretty much be the end of war. That would be great. Whether it is possible, or whether it is likely to become possible, are very important questions. But right now no such force exists. Humanitarian law serves the function of limiting the human suffering caused by war, and as such is very valuable.
It does this only insofar as it is enforced. If it were enforced more, more people would be deterred. If it was enforced less, fewer people would be deterred.