The Third Byblos Autumn School addressed this year the multiple political, social and cultural dimensions which make up our present world system.

Characterized by the dominance of the United States, the new world era, which came into being after the end of the cold war, presents a singular world pattern based on US supremacy and characterized by global interdependence and an unprecedented rise of intergovernmental organisations.

This new international environment revolutionized by rapid communications and new technologies has altered the character of warfare, the traditional concepts of the nation-state, national security and its boundaries.

New concepts of hierarchy and power especially after the September 11 events have shifted attention to emerging actors in world politics, and have forced analysts to reconsider balances of power and to re-evaluate the impact of international actors on the contemporary system.