The United Nations at Work in Asia

<p> The groundwork for the Asian economic miracle was established in the last 25 or so years--the time period covered in this book. China and Vietnam started substituting pragmatism for communist ideology and Thailand started on a path toward greater democracy. The timing was perfect for an American United Nations representative to arrive in the two communist countries because for the first time both placed a premium on improving relations with the U.S. and both were moving toward a market economy.</p><p> This book acquaints the reader with evolving political economic and social conditions in these countries and the role played by UN organizations. A chapter on the South Pacific details the challenges of providing useful development assistance in small isolated countries. The book also reveals a hidden side of the United Nations the role played by more than 30 UN agencies funds and programs in providing development and humanitarian assistance.</p><p> The past two or three decades were a period of great upheaval in Asia. Enormous events and developments involving the United Nations are analyzed in the book. These include the Tiananmen Square crisis in China; 300000 Cambodian refugees camped along the Thai border; escaping the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge; efforts to rid the Golden Triangle of opium production; the sensitive diplomacy required in fostering cooperation among North Korea South Korea China and Mongolia; and a firsthand account of negotiating the international agreement creating the Mekong River Commission.</p>