United Nations and the maintenance of international peace and security

This book contains a legal and political analysis of the powers, practice and effectiveness of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security since its inception over 40 years ago. The first part examines the role of the Security Council, the second the role of the General Assembly, whilst the peacekeeping forces authorized by the United Nations are investigated in part three. Each section is roughly divided into an analysis in terms of political factors, constitutional considerations and finally effectiveness. As well as examination of the constitutional powers of the Security Council and the General Assembly, the author also looks at the political factors operating to the ambit and effectiveness of those powers. The uneasy relationship between the Council and the Assembly is defined to show how the division of responsibility has been altered by practice. This book is intended to be of interest to students of the UN, whether their interest is primarily in the legal or political aspects, as well as to anyone working in international affairs.