ABSTRACT

Fifty years after the creation of the United Nations, there exists a vigorous debate as to its limitations and possibilities. In United Nations in the Contemporary World, David J. Whittaker examines how the UN works and assesses its position as a world organisation.
The author explores the nature of the UN as a regime in contemporary international relations. He considers the changing terms of reference of the UN and includes discussion of:
* UN organisational procedures and principles;
* recent historical case studies, including studies on peacekeeping
* the role of the UN in global urbanisation, arms control and in supplying aid for refugees
* past and future internal reform, goals, achievements
With an annotated bibliography and a helpful glossary United Nations in the Contemporary World provides an interdisciplinary history of the UN and debates the key issues for its future. David J Whittaker gives a cogent analysis of how the UN addresses today's world problems and how it can adapt for the future.

part |2 pages

Part I Infrastructural change

chapter 1|11 pages

The ideas and structures of 1945

chapter 2|14 pages

Changing UN ideas and approaches

chapter 3|15 pages

Sovereign states as UN members

part |2 pages

Part II The UN in a changing international environment

chapter 4|12 pages

Peacekeeping

chapter 5|11 pages

Arms control and disarmament

chapter 6|12 pages

The UN and the developing world

chapter 7|9 pages

The UN and an urbanising world

chapter 8|12 pages

Helping refugees

part |2 pages

Part III Facing the future

chapter 9|13 pages

Prospects for UN internal reform

chapter 10|7 pages

The UN shapes the future

An evaluation