Conflict prevention – will the United Nations return to its roots?
The secretary general is an advocate for reform. But change will not be easy and the case of Bosnia shows how complex peacebuilding can be.
António Guterres – the ninth man
How will UN Secretary-General António Guterres demonstrate the UN’s intention to resist the rising tide of misogyny in the US and the global wave of... Read More
Multilateralism from the Zhou to Qing dynasties – lessons for the international community in the modern age
Chinese history, and the contemporary Chinese nation, have so much to teach an international public administration such as the United Nations still in its relative... Read More
How to reform the United Nations
It is time for a new and streamlined structure for legal and institutional accountability across the United Nations and its specialised agencies. There is much work... Read More
The cataclysm of Haiti – what should the United Nations do next?
Funding solutions to the crisis in Haiti requires both ideas and innovation. That is why I support the fellowship work of UNHCR innovation and its... Read More
A European phoenix – a new role for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
The goals of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe remain every bit as imperative to the future stability of Europe as they ever have... Read More
The United Nations and its peacekeeping dilemma
The deployment of a UN Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), authorized to undertake “all necessary measures” to neutralize armed groups, represents an important step in the... Read More
Time to begin thinking about world government?
What might a world citizen look like while there is still no world government? The first example might be Edward Snowden. Whether he meant to... Read More
Engendering the Responsibility to Protect doctrine – time to include rape and sexual violence?
Engendering the Responsibility to Protect doctrine would be an effective strategy in response to the hitherto unhindered trend of sexual violence and rape in war.
The new UN and peacekeeping
The return to robust peacekeeping is a disconcerting development since it raises the whole question of the need for impartiality if peacekeepers are to have... Read More
The new UN peacekeeping
UN reform of peacekeeping seems to mean mainly focusing on two instances – when civilian deaths in a conflict or failing state are actually or... Read More