In Cancun, world leaders will once again meet under the UN umbrella to discuss climate change. In recent years, stalemates at UN Climate Convention have left many fearing that the UN system cannot produce results. And who, if not the UN, can protect global public goods such as the atmosphere and biological riches? In terms of protecting global biological resources, hope was buoyed with the successful conclusion of international negotiations hosted by Japan in October 2010. The Nagoya Protocol, the result of the tenth meeting of the UN Convention on …

Critics of the United Nations are hasty to argue that it is outdated and fundamentally ill-equipped to handle the security and humanitarian needs of an increasingly complex world. On the contrary, while the United Nations is undoubtedly in need of reform, it is still an effective force for improving the lives of millions.