How does the United Nations actually work? How does it reconcile the diverse interests of 191 sovereign member states - plus those of the multinational corporations that lobby it, the numerous NGOs with which it interacts, and the enormous international secretariat that services it - in the search for effective solutions to the myriad problems it confronts daily? Politics and Process at the United Nations answers these questions, providing a vivid picture of the dynamic interaction between actors and institutional structures. Drawing readers into the ""global dance"" that takes place at UN headquarters, Courtney Smith introduces the various members of the troupe and explains the procedures and processes that make up the movements of the dance. He also addresses an often neglected core issue: do UN decisions really matter? The result is an unusual book, valuable both for scholars and for students in UN and IO courses.
ReviewsAn essential companion read for any course on international organizations... Smith provides a clear view of both the written and the unwritten rules of political processes at the UN - Alynna Lyon, University of New Hampshire; ""This is the most comprehensive introduction to the politics and processes of the United Nations that I have read."" - Kenneth A. Rodman, Colby College
Book InformationISBN 9781588263483
Author Courtney B. SmithFormat Paperback
Page Count 300
Imprint Lynne Rienner Publishers IncPublisher Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc