ABSTRACT
If the UN is the world’s stage, then who are its key actors? The organization was formed by states, it depends on states for its sustenance, and it is directed by states on the supposition that it may be useful to them. Still, the UN has always drawn the interest of a variety of nonstate actors seeking to influence what happens there; it has always depended on outside experts to supplement the work of the Secretariat; members of the Secretariat are themselves important actors; and the UN increasingly works in partnerships with states, regional organizations, and public–private partnerships as well as nonstate actors to accomplish its work. It has also increasingly tapped the visibility and appeal of celebrities from various fields to raise funds for and awareness of specific programs.
