‘Mechanisms’ at the United Nations

Abstract

‘Mechanisms’ abound in today’s United Nations. Yet ‘mechanism’s’ ubiquity represents more than the popularity of a word. Its use is broader, employed today not only as a name but also as a category. The term has come to be applied broadly to characterize organizational devices of all types, regardless of the names given to them, that are established and designed to achieve specified goals or to carry out distinct tasks. The proliferation of mechanisms at the United Nations and the trajectory in the development of their functions provide some insight into changes in the way the organization approaches the implementation of its policies.