As of March 2026, this website is no longer being updated. I now work mainly on climate issues, especially in Brighton and Hove, and new work can be found on the website of Climate:Change, our independent think-tank on socially inclusive action in the City: www.climatechangebh.org.uk.
Meanwhile, however, this website has over 850 entries, mostly representing my work on international development from 2010-2025. Among much else, there are over 50 book reviews, more than 20 papers and training cases on bridging research and policy and on managing think-tanks, nearly 100 articles on climate change, and many papers on other topics, including aid, food security and nutrition, and the future of international development. See ‘Topics and Themes’ for more details. I can be reached at sm@simonmaxwell.net.
UN Reform: How?
UN Reform: How? ODIOverseas Development Institute (London) Opinion 28, October 2004
'The key question on UN reform is not 'Why?' or 'What?' but 'How?'. Take as read the high principles and values: peace, justice, freedom, equity, sustainability and the rest. Take as read, also, the many specific proposals about membership of the Security Council, the need for stronger institutions to manage the world economy, or voting rights for developing countries on the boards of the World Bank and the IMF.
On June 28th, the occupying powers in Iraq handed sovereignty of a sort back to Iraqis, in the shape of the new Interim Government. The key step which made that possible was taken in New York earlier in the month, when the UN Security Council approved the handover and described an enhanced role for the UN itself along the road to full democratic elections. The event was claimed as a turning point, not only for Iraq but also for the rebuilding of international trust................. (see link in title for full article)