There hardly seems to be a global issue in the world today in which the United Nations (UN) is not expected to play a key role. And indeed, despite a persistent gulf between high expectations and the UN's capacities, the organization continues to be a unique and indispensable actor in areas such as peace maintenance, human rights protection, and development.

Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of this highly acclaimed text provides a concise analysis of the UN, its structure and work, achievements and shortcomings, and its likely role and prospects in the twenty-first century. The new edition covers the latest institutional and structural developments - including the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission and the establishment of a permanent Human Rights Council - and reflects recent debates on UN reform.

Sven Bernhard Gareis is Deputy Dean at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Professor of Political Science at the University of Münster, Germany.

The United Nations System
Institution-Building, Regime Impact, and Globalization: The Role and Function of the UN
The Core of the United Nations: Collective Security
The Changing Practice of Peacekeeping
The United Nations and Human Rights: Normative Development, Codification, and Definition
Human Rights Protection: Institutional Framework and Code of Practice
Economic, Developmental and Environmental Questions in the UN: Problem Areas and Institutional Design
Reforms for the Twenty-first Century
Conclusions.