UN Ideas That Changed the World [Paperback]

Ideas and concepts have been a driving force in human progress, and they may be the most important legacy of the United Nations. UN ideas have set past, present, and future international agendas in many global economic and social arenas and have also led to initiatives and actions that have improved the quality of human life. This capstone volume draws upon findings of the other 14 books in the acclaimed United Nations Intellectual History Project Series. The authors not only assess the development and implementation of UN ideas regarding sustainable economic development and human security, but also apply lessons learned to suggest ways in which the United Nations can play a fuller role in confronting the challenges of human survival with dignity in the 21st century.

UN Ideas That Changed the World captures a 'lost' history--the UN's extraordinary contribution to economic and social ideas and action in the modern world. Jolly, Emmerij, and Weiss . . . argue that the UN's contribution will be indispensable in the future, and they are right.UN Ideas That Changed the World is an insightful and thought-provoking book. It is also a landmark work that comes at a critical moment in history. . . . UN intellectual leadership and collective imagination are more needed than ever to translate values and ideas into action for the common good.

Richard Jolly is Honorary Professor and Research Associate of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.

Louis Emmerij is Senior Research Fellow at The CUNY Graduate Center.

Thomas G. Weiss is Presidential Professor of Political Science at The CUNY Graduate Center and Director of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies.

I am ever more persuaded that the United Nations has a vital and inescapable role in the 21st century. The lessons since 1945, as set out in the United Nations Intellectual History Project Series, contain many insights for our common future. . . . UN ideas have beenl��