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The General Assembly of the UN in 1986 focused on the issue of administrative & financial efficiency. The provision of consensus voting early in the budgetary process has given the US a virtual veto on projected programs without forcing a revision of the one state-one vote principle enunciated in the UN Charter. The role of the UN in today's world also needs to be addressed: efforts to begin the reform process are considered, & long-range studies of the problems & opportunities facing the UN discussed. Problems inherent in developing a successor vision of the role of the UN are explored. It is argued that four fundamental changes are needed: (1) the evolution of a complex, highly decentralized system of international organizations in which the UN is essential, but not central; (2) the changing character of international conflict & the emphasis on UN mediation rather than enforcement; (3) the growth in UN activities over a broad range of social & economic issues; & (4) a major change in UN membership, which is now universal. Problems of reaching a consensus on UN reform are discussed, & it is noted that to be successful such a consensus will have to unite both developed & developing countries. 2 Appendixes. F. S. J. Ledgister

As the United Nations moves beyond its fiftieth anniversary into the new millennium, it is faced with a new global system fraught with political and economic tensions that can no longer be handled with models that defined the organization when it was founded in 1945. An innovative vision for a restructuring of the United Nations, this book offers an insider's look at how the UN can respond more effectively to the challenges of the future in an age of globalization.

National prerogatives versus international supervision : Britain's evolving policy toward the campaign for equivalency of United Nations' handling of dependent territories, 1945-1963 / Mary Ann Heiss -- A challenge to the system : the South West African question and the United Nations Trusteeship Council / Jason Morgan -- The United Nations, the Italian decolonization and the 1949 Bevin-Sforza plan : a victory for neo-colonialism? / Francesco Tamburini -- The United Nations between 'old boys club' and a changing world order : the South African-Indian dispute at the United Nations, 1945-1955 / Angela Loschke -- 'A crisis of confidence' : the postcolonial moment and the diplomacy of decolonization at the United Nations, ca. 1961 / Caio Simões de Araújo -- Haiti, the United Nations, and decolonization in the Congo / Chantalle F. Verna -- The Trust Territory of Somaliland, 1950-1960 : trusteeship or colony? / Alessia Tortolini -- The United Nations and information gathering on Portuguese colonies, 1961-1962 / Aurora Almada e Santos -- The United Nations and West Papuan self-determination : lingering conceptions of 'civilization' in the decolonization process / Grace Cheng.

Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- U.N. System Development Assistance: Issues for Congress( -- Summary -- Introduction -- Setting the Context: Background, Role, -- and Perceptions -- Origins -- Role in Global Development -- Criticism and Support -- Overview of U.N. Development System Activities -- Country Activities -- Regional Activities -- Headquarters Activities and U.N. System-wide Coordination -- Funding Structure and Trends -- Distribution of Expenditures -- Implications of Core and Non-core Contributions -- U.N. System Share of Multilateral Aid -- Obama Administration Perspectives -- Options and Issues for Congress -- U.S. Funding of U.N. System Development Assistance -- Bilateral Versus Multilateral Aid -- Examples of Current Reform Efforts -- Comprehensive Policy Reviews -- U.N. System-wide Coherence: The Delivering As One Initiative -- Strengths and Weaknesses -- Ongoing Challenges and Policy Issues -- Different Member State Perspectives -- Competition Among U.N. Entities -- Limited Data Collection and Information-Sharing -- Obstacles to Monitoring and Evaluation -- Role of the U.N. Resident Coordinator -- Transitioning from Humanitarian Relief to Development -- Relationships with Other Development Partners -- International Financial Institutions -- NGOs -- Private Sector -- Looking Ahead -- Effectiveness of U.S. Foreign Aid Structures -- Rise of Other Development Actors and Mechanisms -- U.N. System Focus and Priorities -- Reform and the Future of the U.N. Development System -- Appendix A. U.N. Development -- Group Membership -- Appendix B. Abbreviations -- Appendix C. Top Recipients of UNDS -- Funding, 2009 -- End Notes -- United Nations System Funding: Congressional Issues( -- Summary -- Most Recent Developments -- Current Funding Information -- Introduction -- U.N. System Financing: Brief Overview -- Assessed Contributions