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The United Nations
Global diplomatic organization fostering international cooperation and peace
Key Insights
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1945 to promote international cooperation and peace. Its main objectives include maintaining global security, fostering economic developments, advancing human rights, and addressing humanitarian crises. The UN has several principal operational bodies which are involved in various activities ranging from the military domain such as peacekeeping operations to sustainable development initiatives.
Written by Pablo Mathis
27 February 2023 · 00:00 CETUpdated 21 June 2026 · 18:24 CET
Cite this brief
Mathis, P. (2023). The United Nations. EPIS Insight · International Relations & Diplomacy.
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Military Alliances
Balance of Threat Theory
The Balance of Threat Theory asserts that states form alliances based on the threat they perceive from other states. It contends that states evaluate potential threats not only regarding power but also consider the level of aggression, the capabilities, and the intentions of other states. This th…
Military Alliances
Balancing and Bandwagoning
Balancing and bandwagoning are two strategies that states employ in response shifts in the balance of power. Balancing refers to the tendency of weaker states to form alliances to counterbalance against a stronger power in order to maintain a stable power equilibrium. On the other hand, bandwagon…
Military Alliances
Hegemonic Stability Theory
The Hegemonic Stability Theory suggests that the international system is more likely to be stable in unipolar system where there is single dominant power, or hegemon. As this hegemon provides public goods such as a stable currency and security guarantees, it reduces uncertainty among states and m…
International Cooperation
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger, prominent diplomat and political thinker, played a key role in shaping US foreign policy. He employed realpolitik strategies, as known as pursuing pragmatic policies, to ease tensions during the Cold War. Kissinger’s diplomacy re-established US-China relations and negotiated the …