「国連への挑戦」には次の3点が上げられるでしょう。第1に、冷戦終結とグローバリゼーションの急展開は、大量破壊兵器の拡散、地球環境の急激な破壊、AIDSなどの疫病の世界的蔓延、麻薬取引の拡大など、いわゆる地球的問題群の存在を国連と国際社会に深刻に認識させ、その解決への具体的対応を迫っていること。第2に主権国家間の協力と調整を基本原則としてきた国連が国家の伝統的主権を侵害していると思われるような行動をとらざるをえないアンビバレントな状況に直面するケースが多くなっていること。第3に世界のGDPと軍事費の3分の1を占める超大国アメリカがイラク戦争に象徹されるように単独主義的傾向を強め、国連を中心とする多国間主義と深刻な緊張を引き起こしていること。

　「国連の可能性」については、第1に国連が主権国家以外のNGO、企業、地方政府など実に多様なアクターと様々な分野での協働行動を発展させていることです。脅威、挑戦、変化に関するハイレベル・パネルの報告書は市民社会組織（CSO）とのより一層の協力を提唱しています。第2に世界各地で、リージョナリズムが発展しつつあることです。これはグローバリゼーションへの対応という側面もありますが、国連諸機関が地域的なレジームあるいは組織と協調行動を取ることを容易にしています。第3に、イラク戦争をめぐり国連やEU諸国と緊張関係を引き起こしたアメリカが、第2次ブッシュ政権が成立するや国際協調主義への理解を示し始めていることです。

　コフィ・アナン国連事務総長は「国連がもつ正統性とアメリカのリーダーシップが一体化しなければグローバル・イシューは解決しない」と述べています。岐路に立つ国連が21世紀の世界公共秩序構築の中心的担い手となって、グローバル・ガバナンスを実現するためには「国連への挑戦」を真摯に受けとめつつ「国連の可能性」を高めてゆくことが不可欠です。国連のみがもつ正統性を強化するためには国連改革を押し進めるとともに、国連が多様なアクターの調整者、多国間主義の推進者として今まで以上に実績を挙げることが必要です。

　このような問題意識に基づき、今年のセミナーでは60年にわたる国連の歴史を振り返りつつ、多国間主義の課題、国連の活動現場からの発想、国連がグローバル･ガバナンスに果たす役割を展望してみたいと考えています。海外と国内の研究者や実務家を講師に迎え、参加者の皆さんと一緒に21世紀における国連のあり方を議論できればと願っています。

The United Nations, established through the serious reflection on an unprecedented scourge in human history, celebrates the 60th anniversary of its foundation this year. However, the UN, characterized as a "club of sovereign states," stands at a crossroads today. While the UN, pressured to resolve global issues, is severely criticized and challenged by various sectors of the world, there are growing possibilities that the UN can strengthen its functions as a primary architect of a new global public order. This has been brought about primarily by the fact that the demise of the cold war and contemporary globalization closely associated with it have enabled "people, goods, services, money and information" to move beyond national borders in larger quantities, in much less time and at much lower cost than ever before.

Among the "Challenges facing the UN" are: First, tremendous impacts of the end of the cold war and globalization are forcing the UN and global civil society to seriously consider issues such as proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, rapidly deteriorating environment, global spread of epidemics such as AIDS and SARS, and accelerating expansion of drug trafficking, and to take effective measures for solving these issues. Second, more recently, the UN, as an intergovernmental organization that has been serving the sovereign states, has come to face extremely difficult situations that might likely impinge upon the traditional sovereignty of its Member States. Third, "only one superpower" (the USA) accounting for roughly one-third of the world GDP and military expenditures has contributed to serious frictions with UN-led multilateralism, exemplified by the US unilateralism implemented during and after the war against Iraq.

The "Possibilities for the UN" include: First, the UN has been developing cooperative relations with various actors (such as NGOs, corporations, local governments, and others) in solving many issues. In this connection, the report of the high-level panel on threats, challenges and change stresses the importance of harmonious actions between the UN and civil society organizations. Second, growing regionalism in many parts of the world, which seems to take place in response to rapidly developing globalization, makes it still easier for the UN to collaborate with regional regimes and mechanisms. Third, the US, which has had difficult relations with the UN and EU countries, has, with the second term of the Bush administration, begun to pursue more cooperative attitude and policy towards the international community.

Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN, has repeatedly stressed that no global issues can be solved unless the legitimacy built in the UN and the leadership of the US are combined. The international community should make utmost efforts to enhance the "possibilities of the UN," and seriously address the "challenges facing the UN" so that it can play a key role in realizing a just and fair global public order as a principal architect. The international community should push forward with UN reforms and achieve its stated goals as a coordinator of various actors as well as a promoter of multilateralism in order to enhance the legitimacy held only by the UN.

Considering these points, we will review the history of the UN of the past 60 years, reflect upon the issues of multilateralism, and examine the operational activities in the field. Finally, we hope to discuss, among the scholars, practitioners, and participants of the seminar, both from Japan and abroad, how the UN could perform its invaluable roles in global governance in the twenty-first century.