Preventing humanitarian atrocities is becoming as important for the United Nations as dealing with inter-state war. In this book, Ramesh Thakur examines the transformation in UN operations, analysing its changing role and structure. He asks why, when and how force may be used and argues that the growing gulf between legality and legitimacy is evidence of an eroded sense of international community. He considers the tension between the US, with its capacity to use force and project power, and the UN, as the centre of the international law enforcement system. He asserts the central importance of the rule of law and of a rules-based order focused on the UN as the foundation of a civilised system of international relations. This book will be of interest to students of the UN and international organisations in politics, law and international relations departments, as well as policymakers in the UN and other NGOs.

Winner of the 2008 ACUNS book award for the best recent book on the UN system.

'If you think the UN needs reform, you should read this book; if you doubt whether reform is possible, it is essential that you read it.'

Sir Marrack Goulding - Warden, St Antony's College, Oxford University and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping and Political Affairs

'Nobody has written with greater insight on the UN in recent years than Ramesh Thakur. This volume examines the UN afresh, from a contemporary post-9/11 context, looking at it from new angles such as that of human security. For those with an interest in the new multilateralism, it is a ‘must read’.’

David Malone - President, International Peace Academy (1998-2004), and former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations

'This volume is a critique, not a text, of how the UN deals with the use of force. It is authored by an astute observer of the organisation who wants to make it a more effective instrument for responding to both "soft" and "hard" security threats. Thakur has produced a sophisticated and non-ideological analysis, which makes a very timely contribution to academic and policy debates.'

John Gerard Ruggie - Harvard University; formerly UN Assistant Secretary-General

'This is a remarkable book, both for its breadth and depth, and it could not be more timely. Thakur is able to see the UN whole, taking account of all the competing tensions ‘inherent and intrinsic to the nature of the UN, between … realpolitik and idealism, force and diplomacy, power and justice, efficiency and legitimacy, enforcement mandate and humanitarian agenda, [and] wealth and equity’. At the same time, the narrative has a driving force, connecting the U.N.'s past to its future, its problems to its potential. If you have time for only one book on the U.N. in this critical year of U.N. reform, this should be it.'

Anne-Marie Slaughter - Dean, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University

'Ramesh Thakur has established a formidable reputation as one of the world's foremost commentators on the United Nations. From his unique vantage point within the system, while enjoying the academic detachment of a University perch, he has reflected widely and thoughtfully about the principal challenges facing the world organisation. His writing is incisive, his ideas insightful, his erudition considerable - and he combines these with a style that manages to be both provocative and pleasing. There is no better or more readable guide to today's United Nations than Ramesh Thakur.'

Shashi Tharoor - Under-Secretary-General, United Nations and award-winning author and novelist

'Ramesh Thakur, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Senior Vice-Rector (Peace and Governance) at the United Nations University in Tokyo, is perhaps the most outstanding contemporary commentator on the United Nations system, and his new book offers a comprehensive, incisive, and theoretically-rich appraisal of both the pressures and the opportunities which the UN confronts … Put simply, this book is one of the best ever written on the UN, and it deserves a wide and attentive readership.'

Source: Diplomatic Bulletin, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy

'In his fascinating volume, Ramesh Tahkur discusses various perspectives on security through the United Nations …'

Source: Global Governance 13

'…a definite 'must read' for anyone interested in a balanced, but passionate, assessment of how far the the UN has come since the end of the Cold War and where it is in the twenty-first century.'

Source: International Journal

‘Thakur’s understanding and erudite elucidation on the practical difficulties and issues facing the UN make this an insightful text.’

Source: Political Studies Review