Thomas G. Weiss

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors take seriously the proposition that ideas and concepts, both good and bad, have an impact on international public policy, and they situate the emergence of governance, good governance and global governance, as well as the UN's role in the conceptual process.

TL;DR: In this paper, an exploration of the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the international arena is presented, concluding with a proposal for an alternative division of responsibility and labour between governmental and non-government actors.

TL;DR: Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) have in increasing numbers injected unexpected voices into international discourse about numerous problems of global scope as discussed by the authors, especially during the last 20 years, human rights advocates, gender activists, developmentalists, groups of indigenous peoples and representatives of other defined interests have become active in political work once reserved for representatives of states.

TL;DR: The authors examines the pros and cons of impartial versus political humanitarianism and differing approaches across a spectrum of actors, including the classicists, led by the International Committee of the Red Cross, who believe that humanitarian action can and should be completely insulated from politics; the minimalists, who aim to do no harm in delivering relief; the maximalists, which have a more ambitious agenda of employing humanitarian action as part of a comprehensive strategy to transform conflict; and the solidarists, exemplified by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), who choose sides and abandon neutrality

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors trace the development of the United Nations from its historical foundations to its expanding role in the post-Cold War world, and make recommendations for improved UN performance in the future.