For Europe, 1990 was an annus mirabilis. The long-suffering peoples of Eastern Europe, in a series of largely peaceful revolutions, freed themselves from Soviet domination and embarked upon the difficult path of establishing multi-party democracies and market economies. Germany's unification soon followed, leading to the definitive end of World War II in Europe with the signing in Moscow of the "Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany" on September 12, 1990, and to the end of the Cold War in Europe with the signing of the "Charter of Paris for a New Europe" on November 21, 1990.

This historic transformation in Europe was the high point of a global march toward political and economic pluralism in which South Africa, Namibia, Chile, Brazil, and Nicaragua also joined. One-party states around the world came under increasing pressure to open their political systems to greater political and economic diversity. But problems still abound. Economic reforms have imposed heavy burdens of unemployment and rising prices on many groups in many societies, with resultant risks of political instability. Long-suppressed ethnic and national tensions have found the freedom to blossom. The proliferation of advanced militarily relevant technologies proceeds throughout the world. Such global problems as population growth and population movements, drug abuse and international narcotics trafficking, and environmental degradation both heighten North-South tensions and highlight the need for international cooperation.

A stern reminder that the post-Cold War period would continue to be fraught with difficulties was provided by Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The collective response of the international community through the United Nations Security Council was rapid and it successfully mobilized resources in the face of conflict and uncertainty. What is certain is that the end of the Cold War has given multilateral institutions a new lease on life. Nevertheless, these international arrangements and cooperative mechanisms must adjust to meet the great variety of new global challenges.

The Foundation's International Affairs program supports a range of research, advanced training, and public education in seven broad areas relating to this changing international environment:

• international organizations and public international law;

• international peace, security, and arms control;

• the causes and consequences of population movements across national borders;

• international economics and development;

• contemporary international studies, primarily of the Soviet Union and East/Central Europe;

• the processes and substance of U.S. foreign policy; and