How to use the UN to resolve or help with the world's problems is a questions seldom asked in Washington. We tend to talk about what the U.S. must do (maybe with some help from our allies) without considering early on how to use the UN machinery as an integral part of the solution. If our ideas don't work, then we dump the problem on the United Nations and try to ignore it. Ironically, even when the UN plays a key role, its contribution is seldom mentioned in the press or in our internal discussions. There is a great deal the UN can do. We created it, we pay for a sizable part of it, and we should use it more. Ambassador Lynn Pascoe most recently held the position of United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs from March 2007 - July 2012. He was Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's chief adviser on global political issues and led the effort to make the UN more effective in conflict prevention. Before joining the United Nations, Ambassador Pascoe served for almost forty years in the U.S. Foreign Service and served as Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia. This event costs $25.