This is an authoritative, one-volume, and independent treatment of the UN's sixty-year history written by distinguished scholars, analysts, and practitioners. Citations and suggested readings contain a wealth of primary and secondary references to the history, politics, and law of the world organization. This Handbook provides a clear and penetrating examination of the UN's development since 1945 and the challenges that it faces in the twenty-first century. This key reference work also contains appendices of the Charter of the United Nations, Statute of the International Court of Justice, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This volume is intended to shape the discipline of UN studies, and to establish itself as the essential point of reference for all those working on, in, or around the world organization. It is substantial in scope, containing contributions from over 40 leading scholars and practitioners - writing sometimes controversially, but always authoritatively - on the key topics and debates that define the institution.