The United Nations, Peace and Security: From Collective Security to the Responsibility to Protect
Dr. Ramesh Thakur, (Cambridge University Press, 2006)

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Ramesh Thakur has been awarded the 2008 Friends of ACUNS book award, presented annually to an author who has demonstrated outstanding research and writing on the United Nations.

The United Nations, Peace and Security: From Collective Security to the Responsibility to Protect (Cambridge University Press, 2006) examines the transformation in UN operations from dealing with interstate war to preventing humanitarian atrocities. It asks why, when and how force may be used and argues that the growing gulf between legality and legitimacy is evidence of an eroded sense of international community.

In his recent review of the book, Sir Marrack Goulding, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping and Political Affairs wrote, "If you think the UN needs reform, you should read this book; if you doubt whether reform is impossible, it is essential that you read it."

Lauded by the critics, Dr. Thakur has established a formidable reputation as one of the world's foremost commentators on the United Nations. His analysis is consistently informed by his extensive experience, both as an academic and a practitioner. Dr. Thakur is currently Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo and Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, both in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He was Vice Rector and Senior Vice Rector of the United Nations University (and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations) from 1998–2007. He was a Commissioner and one of the principal authors of The Responsibility to Protect (2001), and Senior Adviser on Reforms and Principal Writer of the United Nations Secretary-General’s second reform report (2002).
 
Thank you to the 2008 Book Award Committee Members: Juergen Dedring, Jackie Braveboy-Wagner, and Joan Seymour for their knowledge and time.