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NCCR Publications Publications in Press Keeping the Faith: America and the UN after Iraq
| Keeping the Faith: America and the UN after Iraq |
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Forthcoming NCCR Working Paper Abstract America’s foreign policy appears to be in shambles. Whatever Washington’s reflexes to the shock of Iraq will be in the upcoming years, connected with the fate of America is the fate of the international system and its institu-tionalised face, the UN. Through its eminence in the world, the US stands at the gravi-tational centre of transformation. Through its universal membership and wide-ranging competences, the UN is the natural forum for any such transformation to unfold – be it a move towards the rule of law in world affairs or a return to the geopolitics of the Cold War era. In this essay I argue that the often heralded demise of the UN and its law, particularly the law governing the use of military force, is a product of misunderstanding of both the organisation’s proper function and its ability to adapt to new circumstances. On the other hand, the UN is not yet its own master. The notion that it will outgrow the self-focused politics of its member states and proves itself as a true custodian of global public interests for now still remains beyond reach. |
