Keeping the Faith: America and the UN After Iraq

Abstract

America's foreign policy appears to be in a shambles. Whatever Washington's reactions to the shock of Iraq will be in the upcoming years, the fate of the US will be connected to the fate of the international system and its institutionalised face, the UN. Through its eminence in the world, the US stands at the gravitational 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. Looking at the various stages of the UN's history, I argue in this essay 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.