The Political Language of Multilateralism in the United Nations

1. Introduction: Politics and Language of Multilateralism 2. Concepts and Language in Studying Multilateralism 3. Multilateralism of Security and Peace 4. Multilateralism of Human Rights as a Political Question 5. From Development to Sustainability: Addressing Climate Crisis in Multilateral Manner 6. Political Imaginary of Multilateralism 7. Concluding Remarks

Biography

Anna Kronlund has a PhD in political science and is a docent at the University of Jyväskylä. She works as acting  university lecturer in political science at the University of Turku. Her research interests include UN and multilateral cooperation, Finnish UN policy, US politics and Congress, in addition to parliamentary studies, political debates, and concepts.

Teemu Häkkinen has a PhD in general history and is a docent at the University of Jyväskylä. His research interests include multilateral organizations, concepts, civil-military relations, cognitive security, and foreign and defense policy decision-making.

Ratih D. Adiputri has a PhD in political science, from the University of Jyväskylä, and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä. Her research interests include parliament, Southeast Asian politics, (environmental) multilateralism, sustainable development and green transition.

"Studies on world politics have increasingly directed attention to the politics of language, to the conceptual and rhetorical aspects of political controversies as an inherent part of politics. The key concept of the book, multilateralism, marks a middle way between intergovernmentalism and supranationalism, to an order beyond both diplomacy between greats powers and a new polity-level beyond nation-states. The authors emphasise, how the United Nations provides the model for organising this mutual interdependence between member states. The book discusses both the principles and historical cases of the UN type of multilateralism in the contemporary world."

- Kari Palonen, Professor emeritus of Political Science, University of Jyväskylä

"An insightful and timely analysis of multilateralism at the United Nations—this book is both intellectually rigorous and urgently relevant. It offers sharp analysis and thought-provoking commentary about the UN’s evolving role in tackling global challenges, from armed conflict to climate emergency, and makes a persuasive case for why multilateral cooperation remains indispensable in today’s world. It is a must-read for anyone concerned with the future of global cooperation."

 - Magdalena Zolkos, Associate Professor at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä

 "The book offers a comprehensive examination of multilateral politics and the United Nations' capacity to address crises, positioning it as a significant academic contribution at a time when UN-centric multilateralism and its role as a global peace provider are subject to considerable scrutiny."

- Marko Lehti, Research Director, Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI), Tampere University.