Past and Future Directions of the APS: Some Personal Reflections

Reform of the public service has not been just some management fad, nor is it even driven by purely management considerations. Fundamentally, public service reform, both in the last decade and in the future, is being driven by basic changes in our society, economy and technology, which in turn influence what the public expects from government.
The reforms of the last decade or so have concentrated on changing the management framework and culture. Future reforms are likely to impact more heavily on the responsibilities of the APS and what it actually does. However, the underlying rationale will continue to be to ensure the delivery of services which respond more effectively to the needs of the community.     

Controlling the Instruments of War: The Role of the UN in Disarmament

The focus of this essay is the role the United Nations may be able to play in the year ahead in disarmament and arms control. It is argued that so far the UN, in spite of many attempts made, has played only a peripheral role. The ambiguity of its role in disarmament is due to the deferent perceptions that states maintain about is role in the global disarmament machinery. The authors suggest that there should be an agreement on a comprehensive world structure for negotiating disarmament wherein the UN may play a role approved by the entire world community.