Since the end of the Cold War, United Nations peace operations have become an established and prominent feature of world politics. From Liberia to East Timor, the UN now carries out extensive governance-related functions and is a significant political force in Southern states and societies. Here Richard Al-Qaq leads us to a radical new understanding of the UN and its role in international politics. He uncovers the political and socio-economic import of such 'peace' activities for subject societies, and raises important questions about the functioning and dynamics of the global political order. A critical view of the internal process of programmatic reform within the UN is elaborated by detailed studies of the politics of UN peace operations in three seminal cases of the 1990s, in Somalia, Rwanda and Angola. This book is essential for understanding the new role of the UN, especially in Africa, and the politics of so-called humanitarian intervention and peace-building._x000D_ _x000D_ 'This is an important piece of work and one which will take its place at the forefront of contemporary efforts to understand the UN and its role in world politics. For too long we have lacked analyses that place the UN back into the political context out of which it was produced and which has shaped its subsequent development and forms of engagement, particularly with the global south. … Taking seriously the point of view of those who have more often been on the receiving end of the UN and its interventions, Richard Al-Qaq shows us an institution that has always been part of how the great powers manage world affairs in their interest. … Through a series of carefully-researched case studies, Richard shows what this means in practice, in the process providing new and compelling insight into how the UN works and for whom. Scholars and the broader reading public will be

forced to engage with Richard's argument.' - Mark Laffey, Department of Politics and International Studies, SOAS, University of London_x000D_.