Negotiating at the United Nations

by Rebecca W Gaudiosi, Jimena Leiva Roesch, Wu Ye-Min

This book offers a comprehensive practitioner's guide to negotiating at the United Nations. Although much of the content can be applied broadly, the guide focuses on navigating multilateral negotiations at the UN. The book is a tool to help new UN negotiators, explaining basic negotiation concepts and offering insight into the complexities of the UN system. It also offers a playbook for cooperation for negotiators at any level, exploring the dynamics of relationships and alliances, the art of chairing a negotiation, and the importance of balancing the power asymmetries present in any multilateral discussion. The book proposes improvements to the UN negotiation process and looks at the impact of information technologies on negotiation dynamics; it also shares stories from women UN delegates, illustrating what it means to be a female negotiator at the UN. This book is an exploration of the power of the individual in any negotiation, and of the responsibility all negotiators have in wielding that power to speak for a better world. This book will be of much interest to students of diplomacy, global governance, foreign policy, and International Relations, as well as practitioners and policymakers.

176 pages, Hardcover

Published April 26, 2019

Reviews

[Winne Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite not being a negotiator or representative myself, I found the contents of “Negotiating at the United Nations” to be informative and applicable to everyday discourse. I absorbed information about numerous scenarios and power structures observable on a day to day basis as well as the strategies to deal with them.

The structure of the book managed to make the procedures of the UN easy to understand (perhaps its most daring feat). A fantastic book for any female negotiator given the personal anecdotes littered throughout by the authors themselves.

Given how informative I found it, I can’t imagine how valuable “Negotiating at the United Nations” would be to someone who participates in regular negotiations or in the UN itself.

Great work!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED reading this book. I wasn’t able to put it down once I started.

It gives a wonderful overview of working at the UN, in layman’s terms and not the typical UN Jargon if similar books. The last chapter is especially relevant nowadays during the #MeToo movement.

This book taught me quite a bit about negotiation, whether in front of a UN Conference or at home dealing with my children.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about negotiation.

[Sean Woon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to thinking like a practitioner, but as usual it is difficult to capture in words the intensity and minute-by-minute thoughts when actually sat at the negotiator's desk.