International Relations, Global Governance, and the United Nations

Humankind faces tremendous challenges. Lives and livelihoods of civilians around the world are threatened by conflict such as the one in Ukraine, the health of individuals everywhere is at risk due to infectious diseases such as COVID-19, and our planet is threatened by the consequences of climate change. How can the international community address these global challenges? One solution is called global governance, a central part of which is the United Nations (UN) and its many related organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). In this course, students learn about major challenges facing humankind, how the UN addresses them, and the UN's successes and limitations. We focus on the UN's key issues of maintaining peace and security, protecting human rights, and promoting sustainable development and climate action. Students engage with theories of international relations that explain state behavior and foundations of international law that constrain state actions. Students independently study an issue of their interest and develop insights as to how global governance may contribute to a solution. In short, this is a course on how the UN tries to save the planet—and the challenges it faces in doing so.