A United Nations renaissance : what the UN is, and what it could be

Introduction (Laura Schnurr)
Chapter 1: Evolving International Organizations - The Past and the Present (John E. Trent)
Chapter 2: Peace and Security - From International to Regional Conflicts. Fixing the Security Council (John E. Trent)
Chapter 3: Social and Economic Development (Laura Schnurr)
Chapter 4: The Humanitarian Side of the United Nations (Laura Schnurr)
Chapter 5: Workable Global Institutions - How to Get from Here to There (John E. Trent)

List of Illustrations ........... 9
List of Abbreviations ........... 11

Introduction ............ 13
Achieving the unthinkable ........... 13
The global governance deficit ........... 15
The United Nations’ balance sheet ............ 16
Empowering youth ............ 19
Objectives of the primer ............ 21

Chapter 1 – Evolving International Organizations: the UN Past and Present ............ 22
Early international cooperation efforts ............ 22
The Concert of Europe ............ 23
A note on the creation of the League of Nations ........... 26
The League of Nations as an institution ............ 27
From the League of Nations to the United Nations ............ 32
Introducing the United Nations ........... 34
The principal organs of the United Nations ........... 35
The Security Council ............ 35
The General Assembly ............ 38
The Economic and Social Council ............ 41
Trusteeship Council ............ 43
The International Court of Justice ........... 43
The Secretariat ............ 45
Beyond the organs ........... 46
The Secretary-General ............ 46
UN budgets ........... 49
The UN System ........... 49
International financial institutions and other international actors ......... 51

Chapter 2 – Peace and Security: Fixing the Security Council ........... 56
The Security Council’s functions and activities ............ 58
Security Council strengths ............ 58
Security Council weaknesses ............ 61
The UN’s peace operations ........... 64
The Security Council and the future ............ 67

Chapter 3 – Social and Economic Development ............ 71
Understanding ‘development’ ........... 71
The first 50 years ........... 71
Development in the early years ........... 71
Expanding development efforts ............ 73
The North-South divide ............ 75
Millennium Development Goals ........... 75
Tallying up the results ........... 76
Sustainable Development Goals ............ 77
A changed world ........... 77
More voices at the table ............ 79
Financing the goals ........... 81
Looking ahead ........... 82
Partnering in a new era of development cooperation ............ 82
Role for private sector ........... 84
Role for civil society ........... 85
Innovation and technology ............ 88
What role for the UN? ........... 90
Is the UN prepared? ........... 91
Streamlining the UN development system and ‘Delivering as One’ ............ 92
Improving business practices ............ 94
Focusing on strengths and priorities ........... 94
ECOSOC reform ........... 95
Is reform possible? ............ 97

Chapter 4 – Promoting and Protecting Human Rights ............ 98
Human rights: one of the UN’s great ideas that too many countries fail to respect ........... 98
The fundamental paradox ........... 98
International human rights law ........... 99
Contradictory interpretations ............ 101
The tremendous cost of violations ............ 102
The United Nations’ Record in Upholding Human Rights ............ 105
From the Commission on Human Rights to the Human Rights Council ............ 106
The Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights ............ 109
Dealing with the worst violations: the International Criminal Court and ad hoc tribunals ............ 110
Responsibility to Protect and human security ........... 114
Migration, refugees and the humanitarian response ............ 116
What next? ........... 120
Reforms: big and small ........... 120
Can change happen? ........... 122

Chapter 5 – Workable Global Institutions: How to Get from Here to There? ............ 124
What we have learnt about understanding world institutions ............ 124
Reviewing the literature on revamping the UN ........... 126
Nine popular proposals to transform the UN ........... 130
1. A more legitimate Security Council ............ 131
2. A more balanced and focused General Assembly ........... 133
3. An Economic, Social and Environmental Council ............ 134
4. A reconfigured Human Rights Council ........... 135
5. Improved staffing and management practices ........... 136
6. Autonomous emergency services for the UN ........... 137
7. Financing the UN ............ 138
8. Principles and criteria for the Responsibility to Protect ............ 139
9. The dispersion and control of global power ............ 140
Sequencing reform proposals: where to start ........... 143
Four steps for how can we help bring about workable global institutions ............ 144

Bibliography ........... 153
Index ............ 161