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quarterly Newsletter issue 2 > 2017
disruption and change
rules updating for multilateral co-operation
plus
acuns as ‘think-and-do tank’: a tribute to the vision of Donald Puchala
ACUNS at 30: Consistency and Growth
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Q > contents quarterly
feature one
disruption and change rules updating for multilateral co-operation | 3 Han Sung-Joo | Chairman of the Board, KACUNS Professor Emeritus at Korea University
special feature
acuns as ‘think-and-do tank’: A tribute to the vision of Donald Puchala | 5 Roger Coate | Paul D. Coverdell Professor of Public Policy at Georgia College & State University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former Director of the Richard L. Walker Institute of International Studies at the University of South Carolina
feature two
ACUNS at 30: consistency and growth | 7 ACUNS Secretariat staff | Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
save the date 2018 acuns annual meeting
Thursday – Saturday > July 12–14, 2018
LUISS University, Rome, Italy Hosted by Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli
welcome to acuns
starting point
Strong competition within our global scholarly network signals the continued vitality of the Council
Alistair Edgar Executive Director, ACUNS Associate Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University
Brenda Burns, Co-ordinator T > 226.772.3142 F > 226.772.0016 E > bburns@wlu.ca
Gwenith Cross, Administrative Assistant T > 226.772.3121 E > gcross@acuns.org
Board members 2016-2017
ACUNS is governed by an international Board of Directors:
Chair: Lorraine Elliott, Australian National University
Past Chair: Abiodun Williams, Georgetown University
Vice Chair: Kurt Mills, University of Dundee Vice Chair: Margaret Karns, University of Dayton
m e m bers Thomas Biersteker, Graduate Institute, Geneva Stephen Browne, Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, Graduate Center Eunsook Chung, Sejong Institute Cristián Gimenez Corte, Universidad Nacional del Litoral Mary Farrell, University of Plymouth Francesco Mancini, International Peace Institute Otto Spijkers, Utrecht University
quarterly newsletter
news & opinions
A Sign of the Times
secretariat staff T > 226.772.3167 E > aedgar@wlu.ca
up2date
Dr. Alistair Edgar, ACUNS
This issue of our Newsletter will be coming out just before the June 2017 Annual Meeting in Seoul, Korea—we still are working on the details of the program for the AM17, as we have had a very strong response to the Call for Papers from scholars in the region. As I write this, we are wondering if we have to add an extra, fourth, set of Workshop panels to meet the demand. That is, I believe, an indication both of the level of interest in our Meeting, and also of the tremendous preparatory work that has been done by our colleagues at KACUNS. I will be saying thanks to all of the Korean AM17 organizing team in person, of course—but just as a ‘shout out’, a special thanks go to Professor Kyu-dok Hong, and to my counterpart Hyun Jin Choi. I know how hard you have worked on this project! Spoiler alert! Looking ahead to next year, we will formally announce at the close of the AM17, the date, location and theme of the 2018 Annual Meeting. However, for those of you who may not be joining us in Seoul, please do plan to join us in Rome, where we will be hosted by LUISS University (www.luiss.edu), with the support of the Italian Foreign Ministry. The dates for 2018 are a little later than usual—Thursday to Saturday, 12–14 July—in order to accommodate the examinations period. Add it to your calendars, and join us for what will be the last Annual Meeting supported by your current Secretariat team! With that segue, we are now at the final stage of the selection process for the 2018–23 Secretariat headquarters host, and for the next Global Governance editorial team. The Forward Planning Committees for each process have not yet provided their recommendations to the Board of Directors—that should happen by the time we go to print on this newsletter—and the formal announcement will be made in June at the Annual Meeting. The two new teams, however, will be notified once a decision has been reached, prior to AM17. I realize that other teams inevitably will be disappointed not to have been selected. As the executive director who sits in the midst of all of the discussions and deliberations (without a vote), I always regret that we cannot say yes to everyone, whether in these periodic searches or in the new annual nominations to the Board. The positive take-away for everyone who supports ACUNS, and therefore what I tell myself, is that the competition in each case has been very strong, and we see that as a sign of the continued vitality of the Council as part of a global scholarly network. Last, but never least, this Newsletter issue features three articles. The first, by Han Sung-Joo, Chair of the Board of KACUNS, reflects on the current crisis of confidence in multilateralism and the liberal order. The second and third articles both are part of our 30th anniversary ‘project’. Roger Coate offers an update on an earlier research program examining the study of the UN and global governance; and the last article, written by your Secretariat team, offers a brief historical overview of ACUNS that we hope will complement Margaret Karns’ 2017 John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture.
Publisher: Alistair Edgar, Executive Director, ACUNS
AC U N S S ecre tariat
Issue 2 > 2017
Editor: Brenda Burns, Co-ordinator, ACUNS
Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Quarterly Newsletter is published four times a year with the support of the Department of Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing (CPAM) at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Contributing Writers: Han Sung-Joo, Roger Coate, Alistair Edgar, Brenda Burns and Gwenith Cross
Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3C5
Design: Dawn Wharnsby, CPAM
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We welcome and encourage your feedback. Opinions expressed in ACUNS Quarterly Newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, ACUNS or the host institution.
Imagery: Thinkstock.com
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Send address changes and feedback to: Gwenith Cross, Administrative Assistant, ACUNS YEARS
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A C U N S q uar t erl y newsle t t er > issue 2 > 2 0 1 7
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feature one
disruption and change
Feature story > h a n s u n g -J o o chairman of the board, KACUNS Professor emeritus, korea university
RULES UPDATING FOR MULTILATERAL CO-OPERATION 0 T day
we are seeing disruptions and changes in our way of life at an unprecedented rate and at all levels of society. Many of these changes involve things that we associate with globalization— free trade, advanced technology, and instantaneous digital communication methods; developments that were facilitated and supported by the post-World War II liberal world order.
Looking back, multilateral institutions in the post-War era owed their creation and growth to three factors: 1) the recognition, by dominant and lesser powers alike, of their shared interest in achieving common goals through multilateralism; 2) a degree of idealism for such objectives as peace and human well-being to which multilateral institutions could contribute; and 3) the acknowledgment of the existence of common public goods such as financial stability, environmental protection, or freedom of the seas. But, unfortunately, in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the recent US presidential election, and in the midst of growing nationalist movements around the world, we can also see more clearly that there are large groups of people who feel negatively affected by the changes brought about by globalization, liberal order, and multilateralism.
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we should
still seek changes that will help us to strengthen the positive effects of multilateral co-operation and prevent negative effects that will lead to the collapse of the liberal order.
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ntil last year, one of the main questions that was asked regarding international organizations, such as the United Nations, was: “Why and how do we update the rules for multilateral cooperation?” I think the most urgent question we have to address today, however, is: “How do we update and change the rules to deal with the challenges to multilateralism?” The challenges come from unilateralistic impulses, nativistic nationalism, and anti-globalism—all of which amount to anti-multilateralism.
Coming back to the original question of how to update post-War rules for multilateral co-operation, it seems that, of the rules that are being contested, three areas or items stand out: sovereignty, distribution of power, and access to the global commons.
Today, in the United States for example, the new president seems to be highly skeptical of the utility for US interests of multilateralism. In Europe, starting with Brexit in the United Kingdom, ultra-conservative and nationalist political forces seem to be in the ascendency.
The second question, of integrating rising powers into the world order, not only involves addressing the stratified structure of the UN Security Council, which is related to the veto power and the permanent membership of the “P-5” countries, but also adjusting the rules to account for the redistribution of power and roles of various states and institutions in global economics.
How do we account for the rise of anti-globalization and sentiments that are skeptical of multilateralism? In the aftermath of the changes in recent decades, there is misplacement of blame, either deliberate or genuine, that holds multilateralism and globalism accountable for many of the malaises at home such as unemployment, a growing income gap, and individuals’ self-perceived economic and social status slippage. Many people look to identify scapegoats among certain ethnic, racial, or religious groups. They tend to cling to their own ethnic-cum-religious identity. In each case, there are leaders who take political advantage of such identity disorientation, fear, and anger. Since the end of WWII, the United States has led and supported multilateralism, partly because of civic nationalism based on democratic institutions and ideals. Today, however, there are many observers who are concerned about the rise of what the columnist David Brooks calls “ethnic nationalism” based on race and religion. According to Professor John Ikenberry of Princeton University, the American national identity didn’t used to be based on ethnic or religious particularism, but was founded on a more general set of agreed-upon and normatively appealing principles. Now, the priorities seem to be reversing themselves. In the struggle between what journalist Jochen Bittner called the “(John) Lennon World” and the “(Steve) Bannon World,” it seems, unfortunately, the latter currently is claiming victory, at least in the United States. So, what will be the consequences of the weakening, if not abandoning, of multilateralism? From the United States’ point of view, moving away from multilateralism and opting for unilateralism and bilateralism will weaken its international position and result in strengthening of rival states’ positions. It is ironic that in Asia, where multilateralism has been slower to progress than in the West, China is emerging as the new champion of multilateralism, if only in appearance. Other states also will have much to lose in terms of their immediate security and economic interests, not to speak of idealism and global public goods. There is also the danger of international relations reverting to being more power based than rule based.
A C U N S q uar t erl y newsle t t er > issue 2 > 2 0 1 7
The first question, of sovereignty and non-intervention, involves balancing what former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called state sovereignty versus individual sovereignty, while also promoting human rights and democracy.
The third question, of access to the open global commons such as the maritime, air space, outer space, and cyberspace domains, involves and even requires both the adjustment to rapid technological innovation, and also coping with clashing territorial claims that are still conspicuously prevalent, particularly in Asia. The problem with changing rules in several areas is that whatever changes are sought will weaken the dominant powers’ control and influence over powerful multilateral organizations. It will also require the consent of the dominant power or powers, which could be difficult to achieve as they might think that they have much to lose by the changes. The clash between the interests of the status quo powers and revisionist states is well demonstrated in the NPT review conferences that take place once every five years. Updating or changing rules is a lofty goal, and it is truly difficult to persuade members of the international community to accept such changes. But we should still seek changes that will help us to strengthen the positive effects of multilateral cooperation and prevent negative events that will lead to the collapse of the liberal order. If we do not have the courage to deal with challenges to the current global order then we may find ourselves returning to times when our world was embroiled in conflict and was less prosperous and less secure for all people. In the midst of great change, we should encourage world leaders not to move away from multilateralism, but to find creative and comprehensive solutions to global problems through co-operation in multilateral contexts.
* Dr. Han Sung-Joo is Chairman of the Board, KACUNS, Chairman of the International Policy Studies Institute of Korea (IPSIKOR), and Professor Emeritus at Korea University.
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acuns as ‘think-and-do tank’: a t ribu t e t o t h e vision o f donald puchala
SPECIAL FEATURE
Flashback to 1987: The founding meeting of ACUNS had just been held, and the “provisional committee”— with Oran Young as chair, Victor Urquidi and John Holmes as vice-chairs, and Gene Lyons as executive director—were brainstorming with other founders about the nature and scope of this new endeavor. How does one go about revitalizing the study of international institutions and multilateralism in an era of pronounced neo-conservatism? And what should this new organization actually be and do? ACUNS as a ‘think-and-do’ tank was one preferred option. As plans commenced for the first annual meeting of ACUNS to be held in New York in June 1988, the idea of a systematic annual assessment of the “state of international organization” gained traction. Such a study would serve as a focal point for critical discussion at the annual meetings. It was at this point that my colleague and close friend, Don Puchala asked me if I would join him in undertaking such an exploratory endeavor. Without thinking twice, I agreed. Little did either of us know that this endeavor would lead us into a three-decadeslong collaboration, doing just that—assessing the evolving state of the UN system and multilateral affairs. Luckily, these were the days when foundations, such as Ford, were also concerned about such things and were willing to support ACUNS and its efforts. With money from Ford, ACUNS provided us with a seed grant to launch our initial research study from January 1 to June 30, 1988. This was supplemented by funding from the Walker Institute of International Studies at the University of South Carolina. Armed with a battery of questions, we headed to New York and Washington to unearth intellectual riches. But, we did not head out alone. The way was well paved by countless colleagues and friends, —old and new—inside and outside the UN. Our interviews were wide-ranging, and we endeavored systematically to tap into all significant political dimensions. Beginning with telephone interviews with about two dozen academic experts in March 1988, we followed these with 40 interviews of high-level secretariat officials from the UNO and selected specialized agencies, representatives from national missions, U.S. government officials, staff members of voluntary associations concerned with UN activities, and other close UN observers. Our first report, The State of the United Nations, 1988, attempted to present a balanced tone,
as reflected in the opening sentence. “At few times in the history of the United Nations has the future loomed so dark, and so uncertain, yet held such promise.” Writing with Don was always an education. He has a brilliance for painting pictures with words and phrases. Thus, for example, our report captured a snapshot of “a teetering, tottering, battered, and smarting organization” that was “suffering greatly from the abuse heaped on it by its largest member state.” Again, with Puchala’s boundless creativity, we endeavored, as best we could, to bring our analyses to life and tell the story of the state of affairs in the UN as seen through the eyes and words of the practitioners and diplomats we interviewed. The story that emerged, however, was filled with much disappointment—in Don’s words “vicious circles of frustrated expectation.” Underlying UN politics was a crisis of identity— the absence of a clearly defined and articulated identity regarding the role of the UN. New critical global issues were pressing their way onto the world body’s agenda, but that agenda remained largely undeveloped. The greatest problem of all was a leadership vacuum. After observing the political dynamics play themselves out, we concluded in the report that “leadership of the organization cannot come solely from the Secretary-General and his professional staff because international organization leadership, to be effective, must have immense political force behind it.” After presenting this report to the annual meeting in 1988, we were asked to continue our research and report back the following year with an expanded analysis in the form of a monograph. We agreed. To support our work, ACUNS provided a second slightly larger grant, and we also received a small grant directly from the Ford Foundation. We expanded our scope tremendously. Our field work took us to New York, Geneva, Vienna, Paris,
> r o g e r c oat e Paul D. Coverdell Professor of Public Policy at Georgia College & State University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former Director of the Richard L. Walker Institute of International Studies, University of South Carolina
with Puchala’s boundless creativity, we endeavored, as best we could, to bring our analyses to life and tell the story of the state of affairs in the UN as seen through the eyes and words of the practitioners and diplomats we interviewed. Rome, and Washington, where we conducted scores of interviews and documentary research. In addition to all three UN headquarters offices, we interviewed agency heads and other officials, diplomats, NGO observers, and other experts at all UN specialized agencies, except ICAO, plus the IAEA, GATT, UNDP, and UNICEF. Our work was intense, and I found that keeping up with Puchala’s pace could be exhausting—many times going without meals and working late into the night compiling and transcribing interview notes as a collaborative process. What a difference a year and getting out of New York and Washington made. This time, there were more positive things to say. We found “very clear, very important, and by-and-large positive connections between changes in the international political climate and the functioning, impacts, and ambience of the United Nations.” The report, presented at the 1989 annual meeting, described elements of the dawning of a new era of opportunity for collective action. The Cold War was rapidly winding down. The new U.S. president demonstrated an appreciation for multilateralism and looked upon the UN system with a much more constructive attitude. We found a new dynamic in North-South relations, dominated more by pragmatism than ideology. Continued on page 9 >
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revitalizing the united nations for human rights, peace and development
AM17
details and updates
scheduled events 15-17 june, 2017 Sookmyung Women’s University | Seoul, Korea J ohn W. H olmes Memorial lecture
key note speaker
Margaret P. Karns
Han Sung-Joo
Vice-chair, ACUNS Board of Directors, participant in ACUNS founding conference in 1987
Chairman of the International Policy Studies Institute of Korea (IPSIKOR)
Professor Emerita, University of Dayton
Professor Emeritus, Korea University
Visiting Professor, University of Massachusetts, Boston
“A Pivotal Moment in Global Governance? Looking Back to Look Forward” Professor Karns was among the forty participants in the 1987 conference at Dartmouth College that led to the creation of ACUNS. She was tasked there with a plenary presentation on “Teaching International Organization.” Subsequently, she conducted the session on the same topic at the initial ACUNS Summer Workshop in 1991. Most of her career in academe was spent as a member of the faculty at the University of Dayton, where she also served as director of the International Studies Program and founding director of the University of Dayton’s Center for International Programs from 1983 to 1995. During 1995-96, Professor Karns was Visiting Professor of International Relations at the John Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing, China. She returned to Asia in 1998 to teach a training course on “Multilateral Diplomacy and the United Nations System” for mid-career Vietnamese officials at The Institute of International Relations in Hanoi and again in May 2006 to lecture and serve as a consultant to the International Studies program at National University of Vietnam in Hanoi. In April 2007, she co-taught a workshop for thirty Vietnamese faculty in international relations on “International Relations since the Cold War’s End” with Professor Karen Mingst. Currently, Professor Karns is Visiting Professor in the University of Massachusetts Boston John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies where she teaches courses on global governance and international organizations in the doctoral program in Global Governance and Human Security. She is a past Vice President of International Studies Association, a national member of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, long-time board member and past President of the Dayton Council on World Affairs, current Vice Chair of the ACUNS Board of Directors, and a member of the Editorial Board of Global Governance. As a scholar, Professor Karns specializes in global governance and international organizations, including the United Nations, with a particular emphasis on UN peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding. With Professor Karen A. Mingst of the University of Kentucky she has published three books: The United States and Multilateral Institutions: Patterns of Instrumentality and Influence (1990); International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global Governance (3rd ed., 2015) whose first edition won the ACUNS 2006 Prize for the Best Book on the United Nations and the United Nations System; and The United Nations in the 21st Century (5th ed., 2017).
“Saving Multilateralism in a Unilateral World” Professor Han Sung-Joo is Chairman of the International Policy Studies Institute of Korea (IPSIKOR). He is also a Professor Emeritus at Korea University. Professor Han previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-94), UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus (1996-97), a member of the UN Inquiry Commission on the 1994 Rwanda Genocide (1999), Chairman of the East Asia Vision Group (2000-2001), Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States (2003-2005), and Acting President of Korea University (2002, 2006-2007) Professor Han is a graduate of Seoul National University (1962) and received a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley (1970). Previously, he taught at City University of New York (1970-78) and was a visiting Professor at Columbia University (1986-87) and Stanford University (1992, 1995). He was also a Distinguished Fellow at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (1986-87). His English publications include Korean Diplomacy in an Era of Globalization (1995), Korea in a Changing World (1995), and Changing Values in Asia (1999). He has many publications in Korean, including Nam Gwa Puk, kurigo Sekye (The Two Koreas and the World) (2000).
plenary sessions plenar y I
acuns at 30: retrospect and prospect plenar y I I
plenar y I V
the role of the un in the future of the korean peninsula
agenda 2030: achieving progress towards the SDGs
plenar y I I I
plenar y V
protection and promotion of human rights in humanitarian crises
agenda for the new secretary-general
Booking information, schedules and more information can be found online at
A C U N S q uar t erl y newsle t t er > issue 2 > 2 0 1 7
acuns . org
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feature two
consistency and growth
The original rendition of the ACUNS logo, which was redesigned as part of a brand relaunch in 2012.
Feature story
acuns at 30
in
the thirty years since the founding conference, ACUNS has grown in many ways. Since 1987, we have held 29 Annual Meetings in 15 countries, our 30th being held in Seoul, Korea as this article is being published. We now have approximately 600 individual and 45 institutional members in 55 countries; our membership base consists of scholars and practitioners working on a broad range of issues related to the United Nations system and other international organizations. Outreach is a key component of the Secretariat’s activities, and the side bar “ACUNS by the Numbers” illustrates some of the quantifiable aspects of our history. What the statistics do not show, however, is the academic influence and expansion of these programs.
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our history documented
acuns by the numbers
the acuns annual meeting (AM) international conference held each june | Three- days
The Annual Meeting (AM) is the most high-profile and widely-attended ACUNS event. Each year we welcome approximately 300–350 attendees from around the world, which we co-host with a partnering institution. Our presenters range from junior graduate students to senior academics, and all levels of practitioners. The diversity of our participants helps support one of the core principles of ACUNS: to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between academics, practitioners, civil society, and students. The combination of returning attendees and new faces always promises interesting presentations, lively discussions and up to date research and publications. The success of ACUNS comes from the combination of outreach and growth with the continued support of our long-term members, and the Annual Meeting is an example of a program with strong roots that offers opportunity for unique collaboration and learning experiences focused around current issues year after year, making it one of the most well-attended events on a recurring basis.
the workshop on international organization studies (WIOS) international workshop, held annually | ten - days
Another hugely successful and productive program that encapsulates both the purpose and benefits of ACUNS is the Workshop on International Organization Studies (WIOS)—known formerly as the ACUNS Summer Workshop until 2015, when it was decided that the name should reflect more specifically the nature of the program. Since its inception in 1991, the Workshop has aimed to enhance professional development in international organization studies; to encourage new directions in international
29 Annual M eetings
15 Am host countries
27 Dissertation Award Winners
organization research; and to establish and strengthen contacts between younger scholars in international relations and international law, and between international officials and academicians. To this end, 15–25 UN Secretariat Staff, junior academics, and practitioners have gathered each year for an intensive 10-day workshop. A rigorous event, one of the aims of the Workshop is to provide valuable guidance in the final development of a dissertation, publication or policy piece. The opportunity for UN staff, practitioners, and academics to work together closely during the Workshop offers an invaluable interdisciplinary experience. The fact that participants receive a generous stipend to cover the costs of travel and accommodation —for UN staff participants, with support from the UN Office of Human Resources Management —has made this opportunity accessible to a wide range of scholars and practitioners.
the acuns’ community of members individual and institutional member base | multi-generational expertise and involvement
The Workshops also have helped to establish ACUNS’ community of members. We value outreach and growth, but at the core of our organization are members who have been involved in the Council’s programming in a variety of roles. Board member Margaret P. Karns—who will be delivering the John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture at this year’s Annual Meeting—was one of the academics at the founding conference, and she conducted a session at the first Summer Workshop; Board member and Past-Chair Abiodun Williams attended the first Workshop in 1991, and then hosted it in 2014 as President of The Hague Institute for Global Justice; W. Andy Knight, former Board member and director of the 2009 Workshop, was also a participant in 1991. These are just a few examples of the individuals who have contributed to ACUNS in a variety of capacities over the years. We appreciate their commitment and value their input as we expand our programming.
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liaison offices
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7 founding board members
board chairs
Workshops on International Organization Studies
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WIOS host countries
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Host Institutions over the past 30 years
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Executive Directors
29 119 68 600
John W. Holmes Lectures Newsletters online Book reviews Individual Members
45
Institutional members
55
member Countries
3,500 5,000+
people receive our E-Update each month people visit our website each month
context and cornerstones
1996 Summer WoRKshop on International Organization Studies (WIOS) • Brown university
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acuns as ‘think-and-do tank’: a tribute to the vision of donald puchala
acuns at 30: consistency and growth
Continued from page 5 >
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But all was not rosy. The UN continued in deep financial crisis, as U.S. non-payment of its legally binding dues continued and its subsequent arrearages skyrocketed. The operational capacity of the UNO and many related agencies were stretched to the near breaking point. Despite the change of administration in Washington, the leadership void in the intergovernmental decision-making bodies persisted. At times, it seemed that member states—large and small— were “fleeing” from leadership. We noted a general lack of political will by member states to use the UN to make a better world despite the opening of political space following the end of the Cold War. The main theme and conclusion of the report was captured in the monograph’s title, “The United Nations System and the Challenge of Relevance.” In the years immediately following this 1989 report, international affairs changed dramatically, and in this context other ACUNS teams continued the tradition of reports Washington seemed to be using, at least selectively, the UNO as a policy instrument of choice. There emerged, albeit for only a brief time, a new-found spirit of cooperation among the Security Council’s P-5, which enabled a revival and brief flowering of peace operations. The UN’s work in development began to take on new life, and, in many other areas of UN agencies’ activities, enhanced possibilities for meaningful collective action for solving global problems seemed to have emerged. A new Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, brought new vision and hope for meaningful organizational reform and leadership. Once again, Puchala decided it was time for us to roll up our sleeves and get back to work. So, in autumn 1999, joined by our colleague, Katie Verlin Laatikainen, we once again hit the road. Between 2000 and 2005, we conducted over 200 new interviews. The results were published in United Nations Politics: International Organization in a Divided World. The study surveyed the evolution of the UN system in the context of the changing global political environment. Perhaps more clearly than anything else, our research found that more and more, the “United Nations is a world of international relations unto itself.” The more things change in the global arena; the more things remain the same in UN politics. But, over the long haul, there have been important institutional changes too. The Security Council has ascended substantially relative to the General Assembly and other political organs. The UN’s agenda has both broadened and deepened—development, environment, human rights, humanitarian affairs, intrastate conflict, and other issues occupy legitimate space on it. However, the challenge of relevance has persisted.
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••• the un’s work in development began to take on a new life, and in many other areas of UN agencies’ activities, enhanced possibilities for meaningful collective action for solving global problems seemed to have emerged. In 2017, in the face of growing populism, unilateralism, and inward turning in major states, such as the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, the identity crisis in the UN has taken on a new complexion and intransigence. Moreover, the void in leadership has deepened. The vision by ACUNS founders that it be a “think-and-do” tank, not just another professional association is as crucial as ever. This vision, as put into practice by Donald Puchala, is also more important than ever and needs to be maintained as ACUNS moves into its fourth decade. * Roger Coate is the Paul D. Coverdell Professor of Public Policy at Georgia College & State University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Former Director of the Richard L. Walker Institute of International Studies at the University of South Carolina.
The last edition of the ACUNS newsletter prior to redesign.
While this format precludes us from detailing the history and purpose of the full range of ACUNS’ events and publications, we would encourage you to visit a special page built into our website that is dedicated to our 30-year milestone, acuns.org/acuns-at-30/ On it, you will find links to anniversary podcasts, notes from past Dissertation Award winners, photographs from three decades of ACUNS events, and a comprehensive timeline of our history. Our retrospective article opened with a quote from founding director Gene M. Lyons on the importance of international co-operation, so it seems appropriate to bring this issue of the newsletter full circle thematically with a quote that complements that sentiment, notably from Dr. Han-Sung Joo, Chair of KACUNS, and our host during AM17. In his article, which is the lead story in this edition of the newsletter, Dr. Han Sung-Joo wrote: “In the midst of great change, we should encourage world leaders not to move away from multilateralism, but to find creative and comprehensive solutions to global problems through cooperation in multilateral contexts.” ACUNS will undoubtedly continue to grow and evolve in the coming years, but our founding principles are as relevant today as they were 30 years ago. It is our hope that you will continue to transition and engage with us as our future unfolds.
2017 dissertation award announcement academic council on the united nations system
is pleased to announce the winner of the 2017 Dissertation Award
GabrielLa Lloyd PhD Candidate, The Ohio State University Comparative Politics and Political Economy
for her dissertation entitled, Mandating (In) Security? How UN Missions Endanger the Civilians They Intend to Protect
view the 2018 dissertation award call for applications online
> visit acuns.org/2018da/
YEARS
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member publications Dag Hammarskjöld – Markings of His Life Henrik Berggren | Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and Max Ström, 2016 The historian and biographer Henrik Berggren tells the amazing story of a man whose individuality and occasionally profound loneliness was more than outweighed by a profound sense of duty and humanism – qualities that truly defined his character. In this captivating and concise biography, Dag Hammarskjöld the man and the diplomat emerges in a new and vivid way. It is illustrated with more than a hundred unique images, many of them being published for the first time.
Sustainable Development Goals and UN Goal-Setting Stephen Browne | Routledge, 2017 This book explores the record of the UN development system (UNDS) over more than 70 years as a fount of ideas and concepts in development; as a contributor to development thinking and strategy; and as the principal source of global development goals from the first UN Development Decade to the SDGs.
Humanitarian Economics: War, Disaster, and the Global Aid Market Gilles Carbonnier | Oxford University Press, 2016 Carbonnier’s book is the first to present humanitarian economics to a wide readership, defining its parameters, explaining its utility and convincing us why it matters. Among the issues he discusses are: how are emotions and altruism incorporated within a rational-choice framework? How do the economics of war and terrorism inform humanitarians’ negotiations with combatants, and shed light on the role of aid in conflict? What do catastrophe bonds and risk-linked securities hold for disaster response?
The Management of UN Peacekeeping: Coordination, Learning, and Leadership in Peace Operations Julian Junk, Francesco Mancini, Wolfgang Seibel, and Till Blume (eds.) | Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2017). This volume addresses an understudied aspect of peacekeeping operations: management. With over 100,000 civilians and uniformed personnel working on a widening array of tasks in conflicts that are ever more challenging and complex, the need for effective management cannot be understated. In response, the volume focuses on the analysis of three interrelated components of management – coordination, learning, and leadership – which also correspond to fundamental challenges in peace operations.
Holding UNPOL to Account: Individual Criminal Accountability of United Nations Police Personnel Ai Kihara-Hunt | Brill, 2017 The volume reviews the obligations of States and the UN to investigate and prosecute criminal acts committed by UN police, and examines the jurisdictional and immunity issues involved. It concludes that these do not constitute legal barriers to accountability, although immunity poses some problems in practice. The principal problem appears to be the lack of political will to bring prosecutions, as well as a lack of transparency, which makes it difficult accurately to determine the scale of the problem.
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MPub Women and Children as Victims and Offenders: Background, Prevention and Reintegration Helmut Kury, Slawomir Redo and Evelyn Shea (eds) | Springer, 2016 This work compiles experiences and lessons learned in meeting the unique needs of women and children regarding crime prevention and criminal justice, in particular the treatment and social reintegration of offenders, and serves a as a cross-disciplinary work for academic and policy-making analyses and follow-up in developing and developed countries.
The United Nations in the 21st Century – 5th Edition, Dilemmas in World Politics Karen A. Mingst, Margaret P. Karns, and Alynna J. Lyon | Westview Press, 2016 This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the United Nations, exploring the historical, institutional, and theoretical foundations of the UN. This popular text for courses on international organizations and international relations also discusses the political complexities facing the organization today. Thoroughly revised throughout, the fifth edition focuses on major trends since 2012, including changing power dynamics, increasing threats to peace and security, and the growing challenges of climate change and sustainability.
Human Rights After Hitler: The Lost History of Prosecuting Axis War Crimes Dan Plesch | Georgetown University Press, 2017 Human Rights after Hitler reveals thousands of forgotten US and Allied war crimes prosecutions against Hitler and other Axis war criminals based on a popular movement for justice that stretched from Poland to the Pacific. These cases provide a great foundation for twenty-first-century human rights and accompany the achievements of the Nuremberg trials and postwar conventions. They include indictments of perpetrators of the Holocaust made while the death camps were still operating, which confounds the conventional wisdom that there was no official Allied response to the Holocaust at the time.
Human Development and Global Institutions: Evolution, Impact and Reform Richard Ponzio and Arunabha Ghosh | Routledge, 2016 This book provides a timely and accessible introduction to the foundational ideas associated with the human development school of thought. It examines its conceptual evolution during the post-colonial era, and discusses how various institutions of the UN system have tried to engage with this issue, both in terms of intellectual and technical advance, and operationally. Showing that human development has had a profound impact on shaping the policy agenda and programming priorities of global institutions, it argues that human development has helped to preserve the continued vitality of major multilateral development programs, funds, and agencies.
On the Side of the Angels: Canada and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Andrew Thompson | University of British Columbia Press, 2017 When it comes to upholding human rights both at home and abroad, many Canadians would like to believe that we have always been “on the side of the angels.” This book tells the story of Canada’s contributions — both good and bad — to the development and advancement of international human rights law at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) from its creation in 1946 to its dissolution in 2006.
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A workable world is possible. “ This ... will be an essential reference work for all those who are concerned with the future of a new United Nations.” Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 6th Secretary-General of the UN
“ ... lucidly and intelligently presents a sweeping series of new, innovative ideas designed to reform the United Nations’ structure and performance. A rich mother lode to change and challenge current thinking ... [it] is a rare compendium of forward-looking ideas. ...” thomas Pickering, former US Ambassador to the UN and former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs
“ Most proposals regarding reform of the United Nations system are overly concerned about what is feasible, at the expense of what is ideal. [This] formidable work corrects that ... bias, and shuttles between the feasible and the ideal with elegance and rigor.” hakan Altinay, Global Ethics Fellow, Carnegie Council
“ No one has thought longer or harder than Joe Schwartzberg about the challenges of designing a fairer and better world order. This book is an essential contribution to a long overdue conversation.” thomas G. Weiss, past President of the Academic Council on the United Nations System and of the International Studies Association
transforming the United Nations System Designs for a Workable World Joseph E. Schwartzberg
Order at Brookings.edu/Press or orderentry@perseusbooks.com
United Nations University Press 9789280812305 | $40 paperback