As a young person, I saw the actions of and believed in the United Nations as a force for health and peace in the world. Griffiths identifies clearly the reason for my disappointment with that body over the last few years. We need this global conscience now as much or more than we ever did. I hope its current leadership is up to the challenge.
The UN is stocked with incredible people. It is still an indispensable institution. As such, its only unforgivable sin is inaction. This risks becoming endemic, with serious consequences for our planet’s most vulnerable people.
We can’t continue to let them down. This great global project has to find the courage to make itself relevant once again, and fast, if any of its future anniversaries are to be worth celebrating.
Martin Griffiths is the former UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator
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I’ve seen the UN at its best. As it turns 80, with a world in crisis, it must recover its courage
The UN has a power and a legitimacy that could be used to save lives in Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan. But a culture of caution must be addressed, says Martin Griffiths, a former UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs

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