Past Imperfect, Future UNcertain

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

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2. Introduction

   • Ramesh Thakur

   Pages 1-14

3. The Achievements and Shortcomings of the United Nations

   • Malcolm Templeton

   Pages 15-32

4. Cooperating for Peace

   • Gareth Evans

   Pages 33-46

5. The United Nations and the Mediation of International Disputes

   • Jacob Bercovitch

   Pages 47-62

6. UN Peacekeeping: Cosmetic or Comprehensive?

   • Reginald H., F. Austin

   Pages 63-84

7. A UN Agenda for Development: Reflections on the Social Question in the South

   • Jorge Heine

   Pages 85-92

8. Peacekeeping in Africa: A New Zealand Defence Force Perspective

   • Tom O’Reilly

   Pages 93-111

9. The UNTAC Military Component

   • John M. Sanderson

   Pages 112-134

10. The Bosnia Experience

    • Michael Rose

    Pages 135-146

11. Reforming the Security Council: A Japanese Perspective

    • Takahiro Shinyo

    Pages 147-162

12. An Asian Perspective on the United Nations System

    • S. K. Singh

    Pages 163-175

13. The Adaptation of the United Nations to a Turbulent World

    • James N. Rosenau

    Pages 176-188

14. Reforming the United Nations

    • Keith Suter

    Pages 189-204

15. Promoting Peacemaking and Peacekeeping: The Role and Perspective of the International Peace Academy

    • Olara A. Otunnu

    Pages 205-218

16. Global Governance and the United Nations

    • A. J., R. Groom

    Pages 219-242

17. Summary:A Mid-Life Crisis for the UN at Fifty

    • Bruce Brown

    Pages 243-262

18. Back Matter

    Pages 263-275

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The end of the Cold War and the forceful response to Iraq's aggression created expectations that the UN would change from a marginal into a centre player in world affairs. These hopes were seemingly dashed in Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia. Has the United Nations abdicated its moral duty as the custodian of our hopes for a better world? In this book, foreign ministers, generals, ambassadors, and scholars provide sober assessments of how the United Nations can meet the challenge of a balance between the desirable and the possible.

• global governance
• Governance
• United Nations

• Peace Research Centre, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, Australia

  Ramesh Thakur

RAMESH THAKUR is Head of the Peace Research Centre, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, at the Australian National University in Canberra. Born and raised in India, he received his formal education in India and Canada, and has held full-time academic appointments in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. He is the author or editor of numerous books on Asian politics and international relations and has published widely in both academic journals and quality newspapers.

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