Sixty years after its founding, the United Nations is facing its biggest credibility crisis. More than ever before, internal deadlock is keeping the organisation from fulfilling its prime mandate - preventing deadly conflict - while recent allegations of official corruption and misbehaviour have gone right to the top echelons of the organisation.
Nothing short of sweeping reforms in the UN structure will be able to save it from an impending irrelevance. Secretary-General Kofi Annan knows this. His report on proposed fixes was released this week, setting the stage for urgently needed debate before world leaders meet at a UN summit in September.
Doing away with the widely derided Human Rights Commission, expanding the Security Council, pushing for fresh consensus on when military force can be used and for an international definition of terrorism are all on Mr Annan's agenda. He has also called for a review of overlapping and sprawling UN programmes, as well as strengthening internal oversight.
A new peace-building body would help build institutions and reinforce treaties. Inability to follow through in this area has brought some of the UN's most tragic failures of the past decade and a half.
Mr Annan's endorsement of comprehensive change is encouraging. Questions remain, however, about how far the reforms will be allowed to go. Resistance is likely to be strong from member countries that stand to see their influence diluted, as well as from those who have benefited from a sprawling bureaucracy that has long guaranteed 'jobs for the boys', as one of Mr Annan's aides has put it. Much will depend on Mr Annan's determination and persuasive abilities.
As much as this is a make-or-break year for UN reform, it is equally so for the secretary-general's legacy. Nearing the end of a 10-year mandate, Mr Annan is expected to announce his retirement soon - not before assuring the changes are meaningful, it is hoped.