Suchergebnisse

The United Nations has a vast outreach through its many agencies, funds, and programs—but that very fact can make it difficult for "outsiders" to understand. Among the questions that arise: How can the UN promote human rights when its charter prohibits its intervention in the domestic affairs of sovereign states? Why do the five permanent members of the Security Council have veto power? Can a dysfunctional Security Council be circumvented? How is consensus on policy ever reached? Where does the money to run this enormous system come from? The list goes on. In response, this new text clearly explains the UN's history, functions, and day-to-day operations. Ranging from development to disarmament, from electoral assistance to finance, the authors unveil the processes involved as diplomats and practitioners navigate the challenges of serving the common good while balancing opposing interests.

Frustrated by the abrogation of promises by nuclear weapons states to disarm, countries that have foregone nuclear weapons joined forces with key members of civil society in efforts that culminated in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). How did this initiative succeed - in defiance of the major powers - in changing the discourse around nuclear weapons? What roles did the various actors play, and how did the language of the treaty evolve? Answering these questions, Jean Krasno and Elisabeth Szeli provide a deeply researched account of the TPNW campaign, the negotiations, and the ongoing challenges of ratification and implementation.