The Parliament of Man: The Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations
by Paul Kennedy
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Description
Scholar Kennedy gives a thorough history of the United Nations that explains the institution's roots and functions while also casting an eye on the UN's effectiveness as a body and on its prospects for success in meeting coming challenges. He makes sense of the commissions and committees, and how the six main operating bodies operate and interact. Citing examples from history, he shows how the five permanent members of the Security Council on numerous occasions overcame political antagonisms show more to spearhead military supervision of aid in humanitarian crises, and how lack of cooperation among the great powers has hamstrung such initiatives as the control of greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbated the deleterious effects of globalization on developing nations' economies. As a body, the UN emerges here for what it is: fallible, human-based, oftentimes dependent on the whims of powerful nations or the foibles of individual senior administrators, but utterly indispensable.--From publisher description. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Paul Kennedy has provided a review of the success of the United Nations in various areas (peacekeeping, social and economic issues, human rights) and has discussed ways to ensure the UN remains relevant and effective.
All in all, the UN's "report card" shows a mixture of successes and disappointments, but Mr. Kennedy concludes that the world is better off for having created it. As the nature of challenges facing the world change (e.g., intra-state conflicts and global terrorism vs. nation-to-nation war), the UN may have to evolve some of its structures and decision-making processes in response. Change will be difficult given the multiple interests involved, and will likely have to be incremental. But, it will be worth the effort.
This is show more a great overview of the UN's many roles, its history and its structures for anyone interested in global politics. show less
All in all, the UN's "report card" shows a mixture of successes and disappointments, but Mr. Kennedy concludes that the world is better off for having created it. As the nature of challenges facing the world change (e.g., intra-state conflicts and global terrorism vs. nation-to-nation war), the UN may have to evolve some of its structures and decision-making processes in response. Change will be difficult given the multiple interests involved, and will likely have to be incremental. But, it will be worth the effort.
This is show more a great overview of the UN's many roles, its history and its structures for anyone interested in global politics. show less
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14+ Works 5,075 Members
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Contains
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- United Nations
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Politics and Government, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 341.23 — Society, government, & culture Law International Law - United Nations, EU International community The United Nations
- LCC
- JZ4984.5 .K46 — Political Science International relations International relations International organizations and associations Intergovernmental organizations. IGOs United Nations
- BISAC
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- Members
- 222
- Popularity
- 146,819
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.68)
- Languages
- English, German, Portuguese, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 2
