ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book provides insights from case studies on the institutional development and negotiations of military mandates in the United Nation (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union (EU). It discusses the importance of divisions among states for everyday policymaking by the civil servants of secretariats. Control mechanisms are central to understanding the politics within international organizations. The book concludes by providing some ideas to improve the functioning of international organizations and to mitigate some of the concerns member states have about control over military affairs. It focuses on the development of the NATO International Staff since the end of the Cold War which shows how difficult it is for a secretariat to reform itself amid the divided member states. The book presents an in-depth insight into the planning for the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
