David M. Malone began by examining the changing and
expanding role of the UN Security Council after the
end of the Cold War. In investigating the relationship
between the United States and the United Nations, it
emerges that US foreign policy has never been especially
multilateral, largely as a result of the country’s early
efforts to extricate itself from its colonial masters.
During the 1990s, one of the main challenges facing the
Security Council was its relationship with the US. The
attacks of September 11, 2001 led to greater hostility
from Washington toward any attempts to constrain
US power, at the UN or elsewhere. The invasion of
Afghanistan was conducted without a UN resolution,
although the Council would have most likely been
willing to authorize action. In the case of the invasion
of Iraq, however, Washington failed to secure approval
due to unconvincing arguments. As such, the role of
the UN Security Council in moderating US power was
discussed, alongside the peacekeeping challenges that
lie ahead. The lecture also explored the issue of the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as another
challenge that the UN has to tackle, with particular
emphasis on Iran and North Korea.