The United Nations in the 21st Century, Sixth Edition, provides a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the UN. It explores the historical, institutional, and theoretical foundations of the UN as well as major global trends and challenges facing the organization today, including changing major power dynamics, new threats to peace and security, the migration and refugee crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the existential challenges of climate change and sustainability. Thoroughly revised and expanded, it contains two new chapters on the UN and the environment and on human security, including issues of health, food security, global migration, and human trafficking. There is enhanced analysis of theoretical perspectives on post-colonialism, feminist theory, constructivism, and non-Western views. New content has also been added on the UN’s budget crisis, public–private partnerships, and the role of women in the organization. By examining the UN as an intergovernmental organization facing the broader need for global cooperation to address economic, social, and environmental interdependencies alongside the threats posed by rising nationalism and populism, this popular text is the perfect reference for all students and practitioners of international organizations, global governance, and international relations.

After more than seven decades, the United Nations embodies humanity':s hopes for peace, security, social justice, human rights, equality for women, and a voice for all. At the same time, it':s where the conflicts and tensions amongst the governments and peoples of the world are often expressed. Douglas Roche -- who has spent his lifetime in the cause of peace as a Canadian member of parliament, ambassador, and senator -- offers a brief account of the UN':s role in the world today. He focuses on the most important issues: the use of military force in conflicts, the challenges of global warming and climate change, deep disparities between rich and poor, and the ongoing battle for equal human rights for all. He describes the wide range of activities of the United Nations in these areas. He acknowledges the organization':s failures and weaknesses, while pointing out its many successes -- some little known to the world':s citizens. Roche documents how the UN is working to address key issues that threaten humanity':s future, using its unique position in the world to promote the ideals that gave it birth. Though its success is far from assured, he sees the UN as humanity':s best hope for the future. This book offers insight into an organization whose work is often decried by critics, often ignored by political leaders, and often invisible to the world's public.

The United Nations is confronting a severe crisis at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Its capabilities have been called into question amid a rash of recent scandals and charges of leadership mismanagement, bureaucratic ineptitude, and corrupt activities. Current world opinion seems to express elevated concern about the organization's ability to deal with the complexity of international relations in the new millennium. Despite six decades of survival, its membership still appears unable to maintain a consistent focus or set of practices to pursue common goals. The United Nations in the Twenty-First Century analyzes the significance of the many forces and events affecting the UN's efforts at reform. It provides a detailed examination of these processes for all of the major UN organs and agencies, including chapters on the Secretaries-General, the Secretariat, the General Assembly, the Security Council, and ECOSOC. The chapters on the Secretaries-General are the only detailed discussion that compares, contrasts, and evaluates the tenures of the seven people who have headed the UN. The book's concluding chapters focus on Kofi Annan's reform agenda as it relates to previous UN reform experiences and assess the future impact of recent UN-related scandals and charges of mismanagement.

In the freshest new international law text in 20 years, Christopher C. Joyner offers a critical assessment of international legal rules in the early 21st century as they are applied by governments to the real world. Looking at concepts and principles, processes and critical problems, Joyner steers clear of an old-time case method approach, preferring to treat issues thematically. He shows the challenges of international law in terms of peace, security, human rights, the environment, and economic justice. Particular features of the book include engaging vignettes, clearly defined key terms, and special coverage of emerging topics including common spaces; international criminal law; rules, norms, and regimes; and trade relations and commercial exchange. Through it all, Joyner maintains an intent focus on the role of the individual in the evolving international legal order.

Fully revised and updated, the second edition of this leading textbook provides a systematic assessment of security in contemporary Europe. The book examines the changing character of security and assesses the extent of the threats posed by different challenges, as well as the policy dilemmas involved in responding to these concerns. The nature of security in Europe has been transformed in recent years. Andrew Cottey argues that this is a result of two key developments: the emergence of a security community - a zone of peace where war is inconceivable across much of Europe - and the presence of new security threats such as terrorism and energy dependence. Set in the context of the rising power of non-Western states and the continuing fall-out from the global economic crisis, this text provides a comprehensive analysis of Europe's new security challenges. Europe's traditional problem of war between states is being displaced by a new and equally daunting set of security challenges. While major war within Europe remains unlikely, the 2008 Georgia war and the 2011 Libya war were reminders that violent conflicts are still prevalent on Europe's periphery and can pose major challenges for European governments, NATO and the EU. At the same time, terrorism, nuclear proliferation as well as non-military problems like mass migration and climate change threaten Europe's security. This text is the perfect companion for advanced undergraduate and Master's level courses on European security, whether within courses in Security studies, European studies or International Relations. New to this Edition: - New framework for analysing European security - Highly topical issues covered, including Arab Spring, rise of BRIC countries, terrorism and European energy dependence

Identifies the major weaknesses in the current United Nations system and proposes fundamental reforms to address each. This title is also available as Open Access.

- Wouter de Vos.

In this book, Kevin Kester details how the United Nations promotion of higher education for peace and international understanding sometimes unintentionally contributes to the reproduction of conflict and violence across diverse cultures. He shows this through an indepth examination of peace curricula, pedagogy and policy in one United Nations higher education institution, where he indicates how dominant philosophical and pedagogical models that signify acceptable peace education ultimately undermine the very goals of educational peacebuilding. Kester contends that theoretical and pedagogical training must develop beyond the dominant psycho-social, rational and state-centric assumptions that permeate the field today if higher education is to better contribute to personal and societal peacebuilding. Drawing from the fields of educational philosophy and sociology, he argues for new concepts of poststructural violence and second order reflexivity that can assist scholars in reducing conflict and building peace in lasting ways. He complements his fieldwork findings with personal reflections throughout the book to reimagine the transformative possibilities of peacebuilding education for the 21st century.

This collection of essays examines the many islands that make up the three geographic regions of Oceania -- Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. These essays discuss and elaborate upon each island's colonial origins, the role they played (or did not play) in World War II, the impact or influence of the United States on these islands, their current political, social and economic situation, and their outlook for the future. These regional essays are intended to aid in the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the student's knowledge of Oceania and its inhabitants. Under the direction and guidance of Dr. Michael Manafo, the Grade 10 Pre-IB American History class at St. John's School on Guam, U.S.A. (class of 2012) believes that these island portraits will ultimately further the student in his or her understanding of Pacific history and contemporary regional affairs.

Intergenerational responsibility is multi-faceted.This edited volume reflects intergenerational aspects in light of spatial, age and racial segregation, global warming, and the aging Western world population. Intergenerational global governance is addressed in the era of globalization and migration. The intergenerational glue, intergenerational crises resilience strategies and intergenerational responses to external shocks serve as innovative global responsibility implementation guidelines in the international arena. Fostering intergenerational harmony through intergenerational income mobility and intergenerational opportunities, environmental protection and sustainable development aids alleviate the most pressing contemporary challenges of humankind. Overall, this interdisciplinary and applied contribution to the scholarship on intergenerational responsibility supports the leadership and management of global governance agency in the private and public sectors.