ISBN 92-808-0885-0 1995, 276 pages US$35, paper

As the United Nations celebrates its 5Oth anniversary in 1995, it is enjoying a revival of interest among scholars, statesmen, and the general public.

This development is closely related to changes in the basic parameters of the post-1945 world order, and the primary concern of this book is to examine, against this changing backdrop, multilateralism and the UN system from the perspective of what is called a "state/society complex," which refers to the forces operating within and across states. In addition to its unique perspective, this volume differs from previous studies in focusing attention on seldom-studied states and their policies and practices in relation to the UN system and multilateralism. The selected states fall into three distinct groupings: (1) two states (Germany and India) that are trying for a larger voice in the system; (2) two (Sweden and Romania) that have viewed the UN system as a means of projecting domestic aims onto a global stage; and (3) three - Chile, Jamaica, and Sierra Leone - that are greatly affected by the shifting currents in the multilateral sphere.

The case-study contributors describe the most important issues that have been promoted or supported since 1945 and how multilateral participation may have changed, especially in the latter half of the post-war period, and finally consider the impact of their state's policies on the future of multilateralism.

This book and its companion volume, The United Nations System: The Policies of Member States, constitute a unique source of information and analysis of member states' perceptions and policies towards the United Nations.

Keith Krause is Associate Professor of Political Science at York University, Toronto.

W. Andy Knight is Assistant Professor of International Relations, International organization, and Regional Politics at Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec.