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Beginning with historical research about the Balkans, the author traces a social & political profile of the countries that today form the region, placing it until these days & to the military & ethnic conflicts that have taken place on it. The indifference of the major powers with the problematic issues of the region & the inclusion of some of these countries in the European Union are also discussed along the article. References. Adapted from the source document.

The UN has a large experience in conflict management, including preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peacekeeping & peacebuilding. It faces serious difficulties in several cases of prevention & peacemaking, namely when it has to lead military operations where the use of force goes beyond self-defense. It has, however, immense comparative advantages in peacebuilding & the UN should concentrate its resources where its conflict resolution capacities are most efficient. Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.

Africa has accounted for a disproportionate part of the peacekeeping efforts of the United Nations for at least the past fifteen years (Portuguese-speaking Africa being prominent in this). It seems clear that this situation results from difficulties in the implementation of the post-independence state -- whether as a result of externally generated pressures or of internal issues of political culture or both. This extensive intervention in African conflict has been motivated not only by humanitarian imperatives but also by the 'necessity' of maintaining the fabric of the 'Westphalian' system of states (a concern given greater urgency by the 'war on terror'). While there has been considerable discussion of 'African solutions for African problems' as an alternative, it is likely that UN peacekeeping will retain a prominent place in African conflict management for the foreseeable future. Tables. Adapted from the source document.

This article suggests that the attacks of September 11 & March 11 -- here viewed within the context of low-intensity conflicts -- represent a new pattern of transnational "barbarism," defined by the search for spectacular effects & by its especially repulsive character. The terrorists don't seem to want to have access to the statu quo. Therefore the terrorist activities constitute a form of limited war, a sort of ideology of barbarism. It is also suggested that September 11 represents the closing of the post-Cold War transition, which opens a new phase of international politics characterized by uncertainty, new vulnerabilities, & the emergence of new transnational actors which challenge the Westphalian states' model. Lastly, the author considers that the international system is fundamentally unipolar, which transforms the United States & their allies as the main targets of those who have the most to lose from globalization. References. Adapted from the source document.