The United Nations and International Politics

by Stephen Ryan

The UN was born out of the experiences of the Second World War, inspired by a liberal internationalist approach that believed in the possibility of progressive change in world politics. Yet the organization has often disappointed those who believed it could play a central role in promoting a more peaceful, secure and just world--Rwanda, Mogadishu and Sarajevo being recent cases in point. This book explores how the UN has influenced world politics, looking at why it was created, how it was affected by the Cold War, and how successive secretaries-general struggled to find a role for themselves.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who do not have a clear and concise knowledge of the United Nations in the contemporary sense, nor about their policies with regard to peacekeeping operations, this book is a good read. Granted, I had to use it for a class, so I basically read the condensed version of it; but, it was useful in that it gave me a foundational understanding of what the UN is, what their goals were as far as peacekeeping operations, and what their role is, whether perceived or actual, in international politics.