The United Nations at 70: Past, Present and Future

Kyung Hee University GC Summer Program

Summer 2016

The United Nations at 70: Past, Present and Future

Ramu Damoradan (United Nations)

Heung-Soon Park (Sunmoon University)

The United Nations has marked its 70th anniversary as the largest and the most comprehensive international organization in human history. Pursuing the maintenance of international peace and security, the betterment of human life and dignity, and the preservation of the planet earth, the UN system has emerged a most dynamic and useful instrument and actor in international society.

This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of the role of the United Nations system in global affairs, with a broad review of the concepts, activities, contribution, and actual workings of the organization. This study explores specifically how the United Nations organizations consist of, work in diverse activities, and face challenges in dealing with various global issues, and how the nations and international community work with and in the United Nations system.

The first part of the study mostly deals with the dynamics of the UN system, as conducted in practice in various areas and issues of global affairs, from security, development, human rights to environments. It will look at current activities, debates, and challenges in the United Nations.

The second part focuses on the basic concepts relevant to the international politics and global governance, as well as on the conduct of foreign policy of the member states in the UN and international organizations. It will also cover the role and activities of the United Nations as an instrument and a venue of global cooperation from Asian and Korean perspectives.

(Class schedule)

Week I (July 4- July 8)

Day I Introduction to the course/ Basics of the United Nations system (1)

Day II Basics of the United Nations system (2)

Day III Dynamics of the workings of the United Nations (1)

Day IV Dynamics of the workings of the United Nations (2)

Day V The role of the UN System : issues and debates

Week II ( July 11- July 15)

Day I Basic concepts and theory in international organizations

Day II The United Nations, multilateralism, and global governance

Day III The United Nations, national interests, and foreign policy

Day IV The United Nations, Asia, and Korea: policies and issues

Day V The United Nations, global civil society, and the future: opportunities and challenges

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(Suggested Readings)

United Nations, Basic Facts about the United Nations (UN DPI, New York, 2014)

Karen A. Mingst & Margaret O. Karns, The United Nations in the 21st Century

(Westview, New York, 2011)

Thomas G. Weiss & Ramesh Thakur, Global Governance and the UN (Indiana University

Press, Bloomington, 2010)

Leon Gordenker, 2nd. ed., The UN Secretary-General and the Secretariat (Routledge,

New York, 2010)

UNDPI, “Conference Diplomacy, 1815-2015," UN Chronicle, Vol. I, No.3 (2014)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROK, Diplomatic White Paper 2015 (MOFA, 2015)

UN Website-