A brief overview of the UN era

In providing a historical overview of the United Nations era, this chapter identifies four broad, yet overlapping, periods of activity. The Cold War era was the longest of these, while the post–Cold War period might be broken down into periods of new opportunities, new challenges and the present era, respectively. However, notwithstanding some features distinct to each period, it is demonstrated that all have in common the fact that they have experienced both highs and lows in terms of the successful operation of the UN collective security system, evidencing the presence of the key competing themes which have been present throughout the duration of the UN era: creativity and flexibility in the evolution of the UN Charter framework to respond to situations posing threats to international peace and security, set against the constraints placed upon the operation of the UN system which arise from the political discretion afforded to the P5. The relative balance between these two factors has fluctuated over time in accordance with the wider global political climate, in particular the status of the relations between the P5 at any given time. While on occasion one of these competing factors may be seen as enjoying the upper hand in the manner of collective security&s;s functioning within the UN system, often they have operated side by side.