With updates throughout, this newly revised sixth edition serves as the definitive text for courses on the United Nations. Built around three critical themes in international relations—international peace and security, human rights and humanitarian affairs, and building peace through sustainable development—The United Nations and Changing World Politics guides readers through the complexity of politics and history of the UN. Students of all levels will learn what the UN is, how it operates, and what its relationships are with external actors and institutions, from sovereign states to nongovernmental and intergovernmental organizations now playing important roles in world politics. Featuring a new chapter on evolving security operations and a new foreword by Ramesh Thakur, the sixth edition includes updated discussions of the UN’s actions in Darfur and Chad, the tenure of Ban Ki-moon, and the global economic and financial meltdown.