United Nations Day 2008

Today marks United Nations Day. It celebrates the 63rd anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter. The UN has seen its relevance and importance ebb and flow throughout the last several decades and has endured significant challenges. Today, though the need for reform is vital for its future success, a significant role for the UN in international affairs and international law is certain. The recent legal and security developments have reinforced the need for multilateral and collective action. The problems are too large for one state to do alone. Some prominent legal thinkers and political leaders, including Sen. John McCain, have favored the formation of an alternative "League of Democracies." However, this cannot sufficiently replace what the UN can do. The fact that serious conflicts, such as Russia and Georgia and Serbia and Kosovo, are now going through UN mechanisms, shows that the influence of the UN cannot be discounted.