Overview

This timely book investigates the role of the UN Secretariat in an era of significant global power shifts. It demonstrates that UN staff have some ability to shape political outcomes towards their own ideals and the UN’s institutional mission, and also that their powers are limited by member states seeking to influence and control the Secretariat. It puts new focus on the UN staff as variables here. Using a novel theoretical model of the role of global civil servants in world politics, this book analyses the interaction between rising and declining powers, and the UN Secretariat. Contributors explore a wide range of case studies, examining UN interactions with a diverse range of states, UN agencies, and other global secretariats such as the WHO and WTO. The book considers both the ethical and practical questions facing UN staff, revealing the tension between political pragmatism and institutional idealism. Advancing the debate on institutions and global change, it argues that Secretariat staff play a complicated but active role in managing power transitions and shaping international politics. Global Institutions in a Time of Power Transition will be an invaluable resource for scholars of political geography, international relations, regulation and governance, and the United Nations. It will also be essential reading for staff at international organisations who wish to understand their role in world politics.

Full Product Details

Author:   Kendall Stiles ,  Joel E. Oestreich
Publisher:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
Imprint:   Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
ISBN:  

9781035312788

ISBN 10:   1035312786
Pages:   204
Publication Date:   04 August 2023
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Contents: 1 Introduction to Global Institutions in a Time of Power Transition 1 Kendall Stiles, Joel E. Oestreich 2 Hegemonic Change in International Organizations: A Theory of Professional Responsibility in Multilateralism 25 Joel E. Oestreich 3 China and the United Nations Secretariat: A Mutual Influencing Game 41 Gregory T. Chin 4 The Crisis of the Multilateral Agenda in Brazilian Foreign Policy: Perceptions and Reactions from the United Nations 62 Hugo Bras Martins da Costa, Giovana Esther Zucatto, and Marianna Restum Albuquerque 5 Human Rights During Power Transitions 81 Rhona Smith and Conall Mallory 6 The United Nations Development System: Change and Agency in the Secretariat 102 Joel E. Oestreich 7 The Impact of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on the United Nations 123 Bimal Adhikari 8 Rethinking Institutional Independence: The WHO as a Challenged Institution 143 Stephanie Strobl 9 The Guardian of Global Trade Governance? Examining the Role of the WTO Secretariat 160 Wei Liang 10 Conclusion to Global institutions in a time of power transition 180 Kendall Stiles and Joel E. Oestreich Index

Reviews

‘The book usefully brings together analysis of shifting power in the global arena with the response by international civil servants in the UN System. Through linking the external power and internal management dynamics, notable insights are provided from comparison across a diverse set of countries, issue areas, and organizations.’ -- Kent Kille, The College of Wooster, US

'The book usefully brings together analysis of shifting power in the global arena with the response by international civil servants in the UN System. Through linking the external power and internal management dynamics, notable insights are provided from comparison across a diverse set of countries, issue areas, and organizations.' -- Kent Kille, The College of Wooster, US

Author Information

Edited by Kendall Stiles, Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University and Joel E. Oestreich, Professor of Politics and Global Studies, Drexel University, US

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