ABSTRACT
The assertion of state sovereignty is still a major factor in whether or not states will participate in multilateral diplomatic efforts and work through international organizations and institutions to deal with and resolve the complex and difficult problems confronting the international community in the twenty-first century. This chapter briefly explores several case studies regarding state sovereignty and national power, multilateral diplomacy, and global governance. The cases involve a major success for concerted diplomatic and military action through the United Nations, the 1990-1991 Gulf War; one of the more conspicuous failures with devastating consequences, the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. the cases also involve a major success for the ongoing efforts by the international community to restrain Iran in its efforts either to build nuclear weapons or to allow the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes (Iran's stated position). The chapter offers some insights about the future of multilateral diplomacy and global governance in the twenty-first century.
