ABSTRACT
The United Nations (UN) leads what seems at times like a double life. Pundits criticize it for not solving all the world's ills, yet people around the world are asking it to do more, in more places, than ever before. This chapter explores some of the ways in which the UN has made a difference over more than seventy years and identifies areas where it has failed. Yet as much as the UN has demonstrated how it has made a difference, history has also made evident what the UN cannot do. Identifying these lessons is critical to considering what changes are needed in UN operations and in the expectations of member states and UN supporters. The chapter examines factors that have shaped UN's successes and failures and the question of whether, in fact, the UN can be reformed to play an even more vigorous role in global governance.
