The UN GeneralAssembly, the central political forum, is composed of 193 members, including virtually all the world’s nation-states. Two-thirds if its members are developing countries, which account for about three-quarters of the world’s population.Reaching decisions is diffcult, especially since all agreements by custom must be reached by consensus.As a result, important agreements are often held hostage by narrow special interests, and most agreements are reached only by reducing them to their lowest common denominators.But the real question is whether the major countries of the world will allow democracy to function at the highest level.The SecurityCouncil, which is responsible for peace and security, deals with issues of the greatest political importance. TheCouncil has only 15 members so it can meet frequently and deal with crises. Once impotent due toCold War rivalries, it has regained much of the authority accorded by the UN charter.