Thomas G. Weiss
Thomas G. Weiss (born 1946) is a distinguished international diplomat and scholar of
He is "one of the leading experts on the theory and practice of humanitarian intervention,"[4] and is recognized as an authority on international organizations and the UN system.[5] Weiss adheres to the constructivist school, and advocates a position for intergovernmental organizations that goes beyond the anarchy of inter-state relations. He initiated the UN Intellectual History Project[6] in 1999 to trace the origins and the evolution of key ideas about international economic and social development nurtured under UN auspices.[7] Weiss conceived the "Third United Nations," and directed the research team that popularized the concept of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). A firm believer in R2P, Weiss has argued in numerous works that a well-grounded interpretation of sovereignty does not preclude intervention in the face of mass atrocities. His oral history transcript is available on the UN Intellectual History Project website.[8]
Biography
Weiss received his
After leaving UNCTAD, he became executive director of the International Peace Academy (now the
Weiss was director of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies from 2001 to 2014. For over forty years he has regularly taught, lectured, consulted on, and conducted research on a wide variety of issues in international relations.[9]
Contributions
He served as an advisory board member for the
- Director of the United Nations Intellectual History Project, with Louis Emmerij and Richard Jolly, 1999–2010. In addition to overseeing seventeen volumes and 80 oral histories of ideas in the United Nations, the three directors notably introduced the idea that there are "three United Nations."[15]
- Research Director of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, 2000–2002. This initiative popularized the concept of the "responsibility to protect," and Weiss co-authored the supplementary volume—which traced the ethics, assessed the operational mechanics, and analyzed the political dimensions of the undertaking—that accompanied the final report of the commission.
- President of the International Studies Association, the preeminent professional association of scholars of international politics, 2009–2010, and recipient of its 2016 International Organization Distinguished Scholar Award.
- Chair of the Academic Council on the United Nations System, 2007–2009.
- Editor, Global Governance, 2000–2005.
- Director of The Future United Development Systems Project, with Stephen Browne, 2011–2017.
- Director of the Wartime United Nations Project, with Dan Plesch, 2011–2015.
Academic work
Weiss has authored or edited some 60 books and 275 articles and book chapters. His research interests focus primarily on the United Nations,
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Rorden Wilkenson, eds. (2023). International Organization and Global Governance, Third Edition [Routledge], .
- Weiss, Thomas G. and James Cuno, eds. (2022). Cultural Heritage and Mass Atrocities [Getty Publications] https://www.getty.edu/publications/cultural-heritage-mass-atrocities/.
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Rorden Wilkinson, eds. (2021). Global Governance Futures [Routledge] https://www.routledge.com/Global-Governance-Futures/Weiss-Wilkinson/p/book/9780367689735.
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Tatiana Carayannis (2021). The “Third” United Nations: How a Knowledge Ecology Helps the UN Think [Oxford] https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-third-united-nations-9780198855859?q=carayannis&lang=en&cc=us
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Stephen Browne, eds. (2021). Routledge Handbook on the UN and Development [Routledge] https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-on-the-UN-and-Development/Browne-Weiss/p/book/9780367186852
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Rorden Wilkinson (2019). "Rethinking Global Governance" [Polity Press]. http://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9781509527236
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Sam Daws, eds. (2018). "The Oxford Handbook on the UN" Second Edition [Oxford Press]. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-on-the-united-nations-9780198803164?q=weiss%20daws&lang=en&cc=gb# ISBN 9780198803164
- Weiss, Thomas G. (2018). "Would the World Be Better without the UN?" [Polity].
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Rorden Wilkinson, eds. (2018). International Organization and Global Governance, Second Edition [Routledge], .
- Weiss, Thomas G. and Danielle Zach, eds. (2018). 70 Years of the United Nations in International Affairs: United Nations Virtual Issue, an online compendium of International Affairs, available at https://academic.oup.com/ia/pages/united_nations
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Hoffman, Peter J. (2018) "Humanitarianism, War, and Politics" First Edition [Rowman & Littlefield],
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Roy, Pallavi, eds. (2017) "The UN and the Global South, 1945 and 2015", First Edition [Routledge],
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Forsythe, David P.; Coate, Roger; Kelly-Kate Pease (2017), The United Nations and Changing World Politics, Eighth Edition, [Westview Press], .
- Weiss, Thomas G. (2016), What's Wrong With the United Nations and How to Fix It, Third Edition, [Wiley], .
- Weiss, Thomas G. (2016), Humanitarian Intervention: Ideas in Action, Third Edition, [Polity Press], .
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Abdenur, Adriana Erthal, eds. (2016), Emerging Powers and the UN: What Kind of Development Partnership?, [Routledge], .
- Plesch, Dan; Weiss, Thomas G., eds. (2015), Wartime Origins and The Future United Nations, [Routledge], .
- Weiss, Thomas G. Governing the World? Addressing "Problems without Passports" (2014), [Paradigm],
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Browne, Stephen, eds. (2014), Post-2015 UN Development: Making change happen [Routledge], .
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Serrano, Monica, eds. (2014),The International Politics of Human Rights: Rallying to the R2P C-use? [Routledge], .
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Wilkinson, Rorden, eds. (2014), International Organization and Global Governance, [Routledge], ISBN 978-0-415-62760-3.
- Weiss, Thomas G. (2013), Global Governance: Why? What? Whither, [Polity Press], .
- Weiss, Thomas G. (2013), Humanitarian Business, [Polity Press], .
- .
- Mani, Rama; Weiss, Thomas G., eds. (2011), Responsibility to Protect: Cultural Perspectives in the Global South, .
- Weiss, Thomas G. (2011), Thinking about Global Governance, Why People and Ideas Matter, .
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Thakur, Ramesh (2010), Global Governance and the UN: An Unfinished Journey, .
- Boulden, Jane; Thakur, Ramesh; Weiss, Thomas G., eds. (2009), The United Nations and Nuclear Orders, [United Nations University Press], .
- Jolly, Richard; Emmerij, Louis; and Weiss, Thomas G. (2009), UN Ideas That Changed the World, [Indiana University Press], .
- .
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Daws, Sam, eds. (2007), The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations [Oxford University Press], .
- Weiss, Thomas G.; with Korn, David A. (2006) Internal Displacement: Conceptualization and Its Consequences, .
- Hoffman, Peter J.; Weiss, Thomas G. (2006), Sword & Salve: Confronting New Wars and Humanitarian Crises, [Rowman & Littlefield], ISBN 978-0742539778.
- Weiss, Thomas G. (2004), Military-Civilian Interactions: Humanitarian Crises and the Responsibility to Protect, Second Edition, ISBN 978-0742530171.
- Weiss, Thomas G.; Caryannis, Tatiana; Emmerij, Louis; and Jolly, Richard (2005), UN Voices: The Struggle for Development and Social Justice, [Indiana University Press], .
- Weiss, Thomas G., Crahan, Margaret E.; Goering, John, eds. (2004), Wars on Terrorism and Iraq: Human Rights, Unilateralism, and U.S. Foreign Policy, [Routledge], .
- Boulden, Jane; Weiss, Thomas G., eds. (2004), Terrorism and the UN: Before and After September 11, .
- Weiss, Thomas G., Hubert, Don (2002) The Responsibility to Protect: Research, Bibliography, Background, [International Development Research Centre], .
- Louis Emmerij; Jolly, Richard; and Weiss, Thomas G. (2001), Ahead of the Curve?: UN Ideas and Global Challenges, [Indiana University Press], .
- Aall, Pamela; Miltenberger, Daniel; Weiss, Thomas G. (2000), Guide to IGOs, NGOs, and the Military in Peace and Relief Operations, [US Institute of Peace], ISBN 978-1929223053.
Lectures, talks, and interviews
- Thomas G. Weiss presentation of his new book "Would the World Be Better without the UN?" followed by Q&A, from the Korean Foundation for Advanced Studies http://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2018/06/11/thomas-weiss-on-his-new-book-would-the-world-be-better-without-the-un/
- The new UN Secretary General faces harrowing challenges: an interview with The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/video/new-un-secretary-general-faces-harrowing-challenges/C8EF89CA-1B1C-4EE6-AAD1-24D9F0091127.html
- In November 2016, the semi-annual publication of the entire City University of New York System was devoted to faculty award recipients. "Salute to Scholars" featured him and the award on pp. 56–57, also available at http://www2.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/news/publications/includes/salute-to-scholars/Salute-to-Scholars-Faculty-Awards-2016.pdf.
- "As UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon is toward the Bottom", The Hankyoreh, 20 June 2016, http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/748952.html.
- Thomas G. Weiss and Stephen Browne wrote for MUNPlanet about the challenges that lay ahead the post-2015 development agenda. Whither Post-2015 UN Development?
- "United Nations is very cost-effective", SNBC, 18 November 2015, http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000456012.
- "Humanitarian Business", Center for Global Ethics and Politics, 20 February 2014, http://cgep.ws.gc.cuny.edu/cgep-video/thomas-g-weiss/.
- ISA's Presidents Series, International Studies Association, 2010, http://www.isanet.org/Programs/PRC/Short-Term-Release-2.
References
- ^ "Announcing the 2016 Andrew Carnegie Fellows".
- ^ "Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies".
- ^ "Ralph Bunche Institute » Thomas G. Weiss, wood sculptor". ralphbuncheinstitute.org. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
- ^ "Lawrence D. Friedman, Review, 'Humanitarian Intervention: Ideas in Action,' Foreign Affairs, Mar/Apr 2008". Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- ^ "G. John Ikenberry, Review, "What's Wrong With the United Nations and How to Fix It," Foreign Affairs, Mar/Apr 2009". Retrieved 2013-06-22.
- ^ "United Nations Intellectual History Project". www.unhistory.org. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- ^ "United Nations Intellectual History Project".
- ^ http://www.unhistory.org/CD/PDFs/Weiss.pdf[bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Thomas G. Weiss, lecture titled "Humanitarian Business" at Center for Global Ethics and Politics".
- ^ "About the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect". globalr2p.org. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- ^ "Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding Editorial Board". tandfonline.com. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- ^ "Third World Quarterly Editorial Board". tandfonline.com. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- ^ "Global Governance Editorial Board". Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- ^ "Global Responsibility to Protect Editorial Board". brill.com. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- G. John Ikenberry (Nov–Dec 2009). "Review, 'UN Ideas That Changed the World,'". Foreign Affairs(November/December 2009). Retrieved 2013-01-30.
External links
- Thomas G. Weiss and Roden Wilkinson's article "Rethinking Global Governance? Complexity, Authority, Power, Change" was the most cited piece in International Studies Quarterly
- Thomas G. Weiss's faculty profile at City University of New York.
- The United Nations Intellectual History Project website
- The FP Survey: The United Nations, "an exclusive poll of top experts" that includes Thomas G. Weiss
- SOAS, University of London, Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD)
- Future United Nations Development System (FUNDS) Project