ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to critically assess the globalist thesis through an analysis of New Zealand's role in the United Nations (UN). It explores some of the key issues facing states in the era of globalization, and their implications for explaining multilateralism. This is followed by a brief description of the UN as an international organization and how states participate in it. The chapter presents an analysis of New Zealand's participation in the UN since its inception, and the ways in which its role has evolved since then. In particular, it focuses on New Zealand's participation in the establishment of the UN, its role on the Security Council, its contributions to peacekeeping, its contribution to the war on terrorism, and its active involvement in a number of key areas such as disarmament, human rights, and development. The chapter draws a series of conclusions about globalization, multilateralism and New Zealand's continuing exercise of sovereignty.
