The United Nations And The Regions

This unique book investigates the implications of the rising importance of supra-national regional organizations for global governance in general, and for the United Nations, in particular. It touches upon issues such as regional representation at the UN, high-level dialogues with regional organisations, as well as the coordination of UN member states’ voting behaviour in the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council. The book further explores the regional dimension and coordination of UN operations in areas such as peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development. The contributions to the book are both in-depth chapters and shorter viewpoints, written by a combination of academics, policy-makers at regional organizations, and experts from international think tanks. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of global governance.

This book has two mutually reinforcing aims/parts. The first aim is to contribute to a more productive debate between different theoretical standpoints. There is surprisingly little theoretical and conceptual debate in this burgeoning field, which is one major reason for the failure to fully grasp the diversity of today’s interregionalism. Too often theorists speak past each other, without really engaging with alternative theoretical perspectives or competing research results. Indeed, this book constitutes the first systematic attempt to bring together leading theories and theorists of interregionalism. Leading scholars from around the world develop their own distinctive theoretical perspectives on interregionalism, with a particular emphasis on the dynamic relationship between regionalism and interregionalism. These highly acclaimed theorists have all been associated over the years with a variety of disciplines, institutions, schools and debates and so bring a rich set of insights and connections to this pioneering project. The second part of the book ‘unpacks’ and problematises the region, the driving actors and institutions that are engaged in interregional relations. There is a strong tendency in the field to treat regions as coherent units actors in an interregional relationship, and such simplified notions about ‘regions’ and ‘regional organisations’ necessarily result in superficial and misleading understandings of interregionalism. This part of the book connects the theoretical discussion in the first part with a manageable empirical object.

"This book is essential for enhancing one's understanding of international conflict and for the continued relevance of the UN as a key stakeholder and participant in world affairs." --Maj. Gen. Kristin Lund, Head of Mission and Chief of Staff, UN peacekeeping mission in the Middle East (UNTSO) "This outstanding collection is a must-read for anyone interested in the challenges of peacekeeping today." --Dr. Lise Howard, Georgetown University, USA "I would recommend this book to policy makers, peacekeepers and scholars who wish to understand and improve the effectiveness of modern peacekeeping." --Lt. Gen. Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, former Force Commander in the UN missions in the DRC (MONUSCO) and Haiti (MINUSTAH) "This exceptional collection of analyses by experts from both the global North and South will be of interest to practitioners and scholars alike - highly recommended." --Prof. Ramesh Thakur, Australian National University This open access volume explores how UN peace operations are adapting to four trends in the changing global order: (1) the rebalancing of relations between states of the global North and the global South; (2) the rise of regional organisations as providers of peace; (3) the rise of violent extremism and fundamentalist non-state actors; and (4) increasing demands from non-state actors for greater emphasis on human security. It identifies emerging conflict and peace trends (robustness of responses, rise of non-state threats, cross-state conflicts) and puts them in the context of tectonic shifts in the global order (rise of emerging powers, North-South rebalancing, emergence of regional organisations as providers of peace). The volume stimulates a discussion between practitioners and academics, offering an analysis of how the international community collectively makes sense of the changing global order and its implications for UN peace operations. Cedric de Coning is Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway and Senior Advisor for the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), South Africa. Mateja Peter is Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews, UK and Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway.

"This book focuses on the collaboration that takes place in the field of conflict management between the global centre and the African regional level. It moves beyond the dominant framework on regional-global security partnerships, which mainly considers one-sided legal and political factors. Instead, new perspectives on the relationships are presented through the lens of international legitimacy. The book argues that the AU and the UN Security Council fight for legitimacy to ensure their positions of authority and to improve the chances of success of their activities. It demonstrates in regard to the case of Darfur why and how legitimacy matters for states, international organisations, and also for global actors and local populations." -- Page [iii] of paperback version.

This volume provides a timely analysis of global and regional responses to international terrorism. The work assesses the role of the United Nations and its various organs, particularly the General Assembly and the Security Council, and discusses the key legal issues. The second part of the book examines the activity of regional organizations both in their own right as well as their interaction with the UN. The volume concludes with a discussion of whether, to what extent and how the fight against terrorism has encroached upon fundamental rules of international law such as the international protection of human rights or the use of force among states. The volume is the latest in a series drawing on the presentations of high ranking scholars, diplomats and representatives of international organizations. The result is a stimulating and thought-provoking book which will be of interest to researchers and policy-makers alike.