Will the United Nations survive the convulsions over the US-led attack on Iraq and its aftermath? How will it respond to the worldwide threat of terrorism? This book shows these crises as the latest chapter in the struggle for peace and stability and analyses the negative and positive aspects of the organization. While focusing on a post-Soviet world now firmly set in the turbulent 21st century, the book traces the genesis of the current major concerns facing the UN back to their origins. It sets out a full account of UN security (peacebuilding) doctrine and action; of disarmament strategies; of its criminal juristiction; of human rights issues; of globalization and poverty contradictions; and of UN financing worries. The book explores how the UN works and describes how the tension between the elite Security Council and the all-inclusive General Assembly can frustrate further action.