Over at Opinion Journal, Robert Bartley published this article on the disparities created in the UN in their attempt to maintain legitimacy and push forward an "all nations are equal under the UN" doctrine. 

I've written about this almost on the verge of growing weary of the whole subject (here, and here) but I continue onwards because I continue believe it's one of the chief failures of the UN.

A few excerpts as Bartley adds his $0.02 to this argument:

...Now, how many of these governments can claim the consent of their governed? In its latest annual exercise, Freedom House judged the state of freedom of 192 countries for 2001-2002 (click here or on the miniature nearby to see full-size map, in PDF form). Of these 85, with some 41% of the world's population, were "free," enjoying political rights and civil liberties. Another 59, with 24% of the world's population, were "partly free," with significant but abridged rights--in particular one-party political systems. The remaining 48 countries, or 35% of the world's people, were "not free," with no consent of the governed or respect for the individual.

Keep these stats in mind next time you hear comments like "the majority of the world thinks America should do this, why doesn't George Bush?"  It should be no suprise to the rest of the world that this logic so often falls on deaf ears here.  Bartley provides a series of datapoints illustrating situations where the UN has become, well, a joke:

...Consider: The United States has just been readmitted to the U.N.'s 53-member Commission on Human Rights. It was voted off last year by opposition from the tyrannies and perfidy by the Europeans. Other commission members include such paragons of human rights as Cuba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. The agenda concerns much mischief over Israel, as well as efforts to revoke consultative status of Freedom House.