Kelly-Kate Pease

The revised and updated Introduction to this classic text situates the UN in substantially changing world politics, including: The election of the ninth Secretary-General, António Guterres; The burgeoning of “new nationalisms” worldwide, including most importantly in the Trump administration’s Washington, DC, and Brexit; The continuing proliferation of such non-state actors as ISIS and those in the “third UN,” including developmental and humanitarian NGOs. Essential to all classes on the UN, International Organizations, and Global Studies, this interim edition of The United Nations and Changing World Politics is refreshed for students and scholars alike.

This completely revised and updated eighth edition serves as the definitive text for courses in which the United Nations is either the focus or a central component. Built around three critical themes in international relations (peace and security, human rights and humanitarian affairs, and sustainable human development) the eighth edition of The United Nations and Changing World Politics guides students through the seven turbulent decades of UN politics. This new edition is fully revised to incorporate recent developments on the international stage, including new peace operations in Mali and the Central African Republic; ongoing UN efforts to manage the crises in Libya, Syria, and Iraq; the Iran Nuclear Deal; and the new Sustainable Development Goals. The authors discuss how international law frames the controversies at the UN and guides how the UN responds to violence and insecurity, gross violations of human rights, poverty, underdevelopment, and environmental degradation. Students of all levels will learn that the UN is a complex organization, comprised of three interactive entities that cooperate and also compete with each other to define and advance the UN's principles and purposes.

Human rights and humanitarian diplomacy provides an up to date and accessible overview of the field, and serves as a practical guide to those seeking to engage in human rights work. Pease argues that while human rights are internationally recognised, important disagreements exist on definition, priority and implementation. With the help of human rights diplomacy, these differences can be bridged, and a new generation of human rights professionals will build better relationships.