Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book proceeds on the view that it is important to remember that the relationship between improved socio-economic conditions and a more stable social order is evident not only in the domestic law and policy of a number of States in the 19th and 20th centuries, it is also evident in a number of international legal developments from that time. It examines the provisions of the Charter that allow for a more holistic approach to the maintenance of international peace and security, an approach that can draw from the Charter's commitment to economic and social progress and human rights. The book considers how the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) can work together to achieve not only their own individual goals but also the collective goals of the UN.