The United Nations is entering its fiftieth year in severely battered form. Part of the problem lies in its origins after the Second World War, when the victors - France, the USA, Britain and Russia -- were given the power to veto in the Security Council. Another problem is that 25 per cent of the finances comes from the USA -- and the piper can call the tune.

Its peace-keeping activities have been a dismal failure in recent years - just look at Somalia, Rwanda, former Yugoslavia. There has been greater success with the non-governmental organisation -- WHO programmes have eliminated smallpox and UNICEF has been the driving force behind universal child immunisation.

The IHEU plays its part in the United Nations organisations as can be seen in articles by Robbi Robson, Claude Pecker and James Dilloway. The United Nations must not be allowed to sink into disorganised deadlock. It needs a new vision for a new millennium - and humanists must be among its most vigorous supporters.