Eighty years ago, in the aftermath of the most devastating war in human history, the nations of the world came together to forge a new compact — one that would seek to prevent future conflict, promote human dignity and uphold the rule of law across borders. The United Nations (UN) was born not of triumph, but of tragedy; not as a monument to power, but as a mechanism for peace.

As someone who served the UN for nearly three decades, from 1978 to 2007, I witnessed first-hand its evolution from a Cold War battleground to a post-Cold War laboratory of global cooperation. I saw the UN falter in Rwanda and Srebrenica, and rise to the occasion in East Timor and Namibia. I saw it struggle with bureaucracy and politics, yet persist in its mission to feed the hungry, shelter the displaced, and give

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