ABSTRACT

Since its creation in 1945, the United Nations has demonstrated a certain capacity of adjustment to the evolving geopolitical context and, in particular, to changes in the relations among states, as well as to the rising profile and active participation of non-state actors in the international arena. While periodic adjustments have met with varying degrees of success, they do reveal a measure of flexibility in the United Nations system, a complex assemblage of actors, processes, and programs, to respond to challenges in informal ways, as opposed to the formal and rather cumbersome amendment procedure envisaged by the Charter.