To Keep the Peace: The United Nations Condemnatory Resolution

Three case studies in the use of condemnatory resolutions form the basis of an examination of the politics behind U.N. resolutions and of the role of the U.N. in fostering international standards of legitimacy. The author concludes that while the United Nations is more of a microcosm of the world political arena than an independent actor in it, much can be done to improve its performance by restricting the use of condemnatory resolutions and bolstering mechanisms for settling disputes.