Unpacking Normative Change: The United Nations at its 60th Anniversary

Author

Giovanna Marques Kuele, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

9-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Political Science

Advisor

Thomas G. Weiss

Committee Members

Zachary Shirkey

Stephanie Golob

Subject Categories

Comparative Politics | International Relations

Keywords

United Nations, International Organizations, Normative Change, Historical Institutionalism, Multilateral Diplomacy, Critical Juncture

Abstract

This dissertation explores the UN at its 60th anniversary at a critical juncture, with seven nested observations, to answer why normative change happens at the UN, when it is triggered, and which proposed changes are ultimately adopted. It argues that normative change at the UN is a result of multilevel political consensus at critical junctures. At the macro level, these junctures are triggered by global crises and international summits that provide a moment of normative reflection among the three UNs—member states, secretariat, and non-state actors—thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving multilevel political consensus. At the micro level, the formation of high multilevel political consensus on specific normative changes is influenced by three intertwined factors: availability of expert knowledge, perceived low costs of change, and medium transaction costs in the negotiations. Combined these factors determine which normative changes are ultimately embraced. Qualitative research methods make use of the case study and process tracing and collection methods, including 43 elite interviews and document analysis. This study adopts historical institutionalism as an analytical framework in international relations, blending insights from constructivism and neoliberal institutionalism to dissect the mechanisms of normative change at the UN. This approach not only illuminates the conditions under which the UN has historically fostered normative transformations but also underscores the significance of such changes in enhancing the organization’s adaptability and relevance in addressing contemporary global challenges.

Recommended Citation

Marques Kuele, Giovanna, "Unpacking Normative Change: The United Nations at its 60th Anniversary" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5959