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Key Features: Contains a collection of essays by the third generation of Singapore's diplomats, reflecting on their recent experiences and lessons learned Includes a comprehensive Annex of the milestones of Singapore's external relations, updated to 2008.

In the wake of the Iraq War, what lies ahead for the United Nations as peacekeeper and nation-builder? What lessons were learnt in Afghanistan and Iraq, what reforms could they entail, how do UN efforts fare as compared with those of the United States, and what will be, in the next decade, the most pressing challenges confronting the Organization? Will the United Nations, in its current form and within the new global power structure, be able to remain relevant, retain its ideals and still respond meaningfully to mounting international tensions? These were some of the questions tackled by a group of eminent scholars and practitioners, many directly and personally involved with multilateral or unilateral peace operations. In addition to the larger issues of peacekeeping and peace-building and the recommendations for historical reform suggested by the 'UN High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change' in December 2004, the group debated some of the most complex recent interventions, including Afghanistan, East Timor and Iraq. This volume, which contains all the presentations and discussions of the UNITAR/IPS Conference on "United Nations as a Peacekeeper and Nation-Builder: Continuity and Change - What Lies Ahead?" will be a valuable addition to the collections of experts or laypersons interested in the future role of the United Nations in general and in peacekeeping and post-conflict state-building in particular

In March 2000, the United Nations Secretary-General convened an international panel to conduct a major study on United Nations Peace Operations. Chaired by former Algerian Foreign Minister and current Under-Secretary-General, Lakhdar Brahimi, the Panel was tasked to conduct a wide-ranging study and analysis over lessons learned from past operations such as those in Rwanda and Somalia, as well as current missions in Kosovo, East Timor, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Panel looked at how peacekeeping missions could achieve greater efficiency and success in attaining the key objectives of maintaining peace and promoting reconciliation and reconstruction. It also reviewed the context within which peacekeeping missions took place, the resources and limitations of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) specifically, and the modality, efficacy, and extent of assistance rendered by the `international community' within the framework of peacekeeping and peace-building in general. The fifth in a series of conferences organised on lessons learnt from peacekeeping operations was held under the auspices of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Singapore and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA). Throughout two intense days in Singapore, in April 2001, an eminent group of academics, government officials, representatives of international organisations, representatives from ongoing UN Missions, and military scholars gathered behind closed doors to reflect upon the recommendations of the Brahimi Report and the obstacles to reform of peacekeeping. This volume contains all the papers presented at that event. It also includes the Co-Chairs' Summary and Recommendations. The Report is a summary of the many animated debates that took place during the conference. Recommendations of the Co-Chairs have been drawn from the broad range of opinions and insights from the conference. The findings and reactions of the participants to the Brahimi Report should give policy-makers, researchers, and international affairs analysts a candid review and critique of past experiences that is essential to the comprehension of the failures of current peacekeeping and requirements for future success

Over the last few years, and with the collapse of the bipolar world order, new and complex conflicts have emerged which, in some cases, have ignited into larger and devastating regional wars. In the very midst of peacekeeping operations for such conflicts, experts claim, the requirements of peace-building should be considered a priority as well. It is for this reason that the United Nations, even as it deploys military and civilian forces in the four corners of the globe, seeks to set the foundations for sustainable peace. The task is daunting but the challenge impossible to ignore. Against such a background, and even as events were unfolding in East Timor and Kosovo, the fourth in a series of prestigious conferences organised on lessons learnt from peacekeeping operations was held under the auspices of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Singapore, and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA). Throughout two intense days in Singapore, in November of 1999, an eminent group of academics, government officials, representatives of international organisations, and military scholars gathered behind closed doors to reflect upon what has been coined the nexus between peacekeeping and peace-building . This volume contains all the papers commissioned for that event. It also includes a summary of the many animated debates that took place during the conference. The broad range of opinions and perspectives it contains provides insights into a difficult and important topic, and demonstrates how dangerous it would be for the international community to ignore it. Four past cases - Angola, Haiti, Mozambique, and Cambodia - and two ongoing operations - Kosovo and East Timor - were analysed. The findings should give policy makers, researchers and international affairs analysts a candid review and critique of past experiences that is essential for the comprehension of current peacekeeping missions and the requirement of peace-building strategies

On 1 January 2004, the US–Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA)came into force. The USSFTA was the result of a two-year negotiationprocess which started towards the end of the Clinton Administrationand concluded under the Bush Administration. How did the negotiationprocess straddle the two administrations? What is the rationale forthe FTA? What were the unique features of the negotiating process? Wasnegotiating with the US different from negotiating with othercountries? How will the FTA benefit the two countries? What is theimpact on ASEAN, APEC and the WTO? This book captures some of the personal insights thrown up in thenegotiations and offers highlights and analysis of theUSSFTA. Contributors to the volume include the Chief Negotiators ofthe two delegations, the US and Singapore Ambassadors, key negotiatorsand close observers of the process. Selected key documents pertainingto the USSFTA process have also been included. This book is acomprehensive reader on the story behind the negotiations of theUSSFTA.

"On the 8th of August 2017, ASEAN will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding. ASEAN is of great importance to Singapore, the region and the world. In 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN in short, was founded by five countries in Southeast Asia which had just gained independence from their former colonial masters, united by a determination for the region to live in peace and stability. Singapore was one of the five founding members of ASEAN, together with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. The grouping was joined later by Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and finally, Cambodia (1999). ASEAN is today a very successful inter-governmental organization which promotes peace, stability, economic development and regional integration. This volume brings together 46 essays written by Singaporeans who have played a part in the partnership between ASEAN and Singapore. The reader will be able to glean an insight into the workings of ASEAN and Singapore's contributions to ASEAN through the lens of diplomats, academics, civil society leaders and officials."--Publisher's website

"This book aims to celebrate the many contributions of Professor Tommy Koh as a Singaporean diplomat, public intellectual and social changemaker. It is an account of the ideas and ideals of an extraordinary Singaporean public servant who was not only born with the talent and ability to traverse many areas of society, but one who, when given the opportunity, had the drive and ambition to make the most of it to create a better world for Singaporeans and the global community. Experts in the various fields of endeavour and people who have worked with him examine his significant contributions in essays that are organised in four main sections: Diplomacy and International Relations; Arts, Culture and Heritage; Progressive Society; International Law; and a fifth section that features tributes contributed by his colleagues and former classmates. Set in the context of Singapore — a nation known for its socio-economic progress, its ability to punch above its own weight in international relations, as well as its increasing appreciation for heritage, the arts, and sustainable development — this book illustrates the power of the individual and sense of agency that can create the systems and structures to achieve all those things. The story of Professor Tommy Koh as captured in this book should energise other change agents to go out and create the progressive, inclusive and sustainable world they want. An inspirational collection for general readers, this book reflects the spirit of Singapore's pioneer generation whose determination and tenacity turned the nation into the modern-day miracle that Singapore is today."--Publisher's website