While not all the goals set out in the United Nations Charter have been achieved, in a number of areas the achievements of the United Nations have clearly exceeded those set out in the UN Charter. By supporting the process of decolonization, the United Nations significantly influenced the shape of the international community and helped in the development of international law regulating interstate relations. The special status given by the UN to the issues of human rights, ‘sustainable development’, the need to reduce poverty in the world, protection of the environment and humanitarian aid significantly changed the way we think about the contemporary world. The growing awareness of new threats to humanity should constitute the main motive for efforts aimed at strengthening the United Nations. The ‘Declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations’ adopted at the current session of the UN General Assembly at the level of heads of state and government, gives some hope in this area. The declaration identifies – like the UN Charter – the main world problems and stresses that they can only be solved by ‘reinvigorated multilateralism’. The declaration should give a strong impetus to politicians and scientists to reflect on and act in order to strengthen the United Nations.