ABSTRACT

Development has been one of the four principal pillars of the UN since its inception in 1945, along with peace-keeping, human rights and justice, and humanitarian response. The organizations concerned are loosely grouped into a ‘system’ and they have certain characteristics in common, including a putative adherence to UN values. This chapter looks at the current structure of the system, its four principal functions and, within them, its mixed record as a supporter of development goals.