India, May 23 -- The United Nations has failed.

Think of how frequently you have encountered that cliche. Like most cliches, it contains more than an element of truth.

If one views the UN's core mandate as maintaining international peace and security, it has failed; look around and the number of hot inter-state and intra-state conflicts offer ample proof of this. If one views the UN's core mandate as addressing poverty and deprivation, it has failed; look around and the extent of distress, particularly in the Global South, offers proof of this. If one views the UN's core mandate as giving an equal voice to all nations, it has failed; look around and the composition of the Security Council and the permanent inequality embedded in its str...