The papers in this volume, presented at an international conference, organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, attempt to address the fundamental questions concerning the authority, prestige, working methods and efficiency of the United Nations, in the light of the military occupation of Iraq by the US and its allies in 2003.

Also, the contributors concern the general international law, especially the rules regarding the maintenance of peace and the prohibition of the use of force, which are the central provisions of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental forms of customary international law.