Giving Compass' Take:

• This United Nations Foundation article examines the relationship between the UN and the US — the good (peacekeeping missions), the bad (budget disputes), and what's in store for the future.

• With Nikki Haley stepping down from her post as Ambassador, there will definitely be changes coming. Despite challenges, the author paints an optimistic picture of global engagement on pressing issues.

• Here's more on how we can understand the reach of the UN.

For the past 73 years, the United States and the United Nations have remained essential partners in resolving challenges around the world. As we approach the end of the year, it’s safe to say that 2018 was no different, with the U.S. and the UN collaborating in many important areas despite some challenges.

Thanks to the strong partnership between UN Secretary-General António Guterres and U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, the U.S. and the UN collaborated on several important initiatives and celebrated some successes.

One shared area of success was on reforming the UN to make it more efficient and effective in delivering for the world. Member States came together this spring to agree on an ambitious change agenda, supported by the U.S. We also saw meaningful reforms in peacekeeping operations, with the U.S. pledging its support for the Secretary-General’s “Action 4 Peacekeeping” initiative.

On the UN Peacekeeping front, we celebrated the successful closure of the mission in Liberia (UNMIL) — the third peacekeeping mission in West Africa to close in the last 15 years — that has achieved its mandate and left the country a more stable place. Peacekeeeping not only continues to be a successful tool; it’s cost-effective too. The U.S. Government Accountability Office proved once again, that Peacekeeping operations are actually eight times cheaper than U.S. forces going in alone.

Read the full article about how the US and UN worked together by Peter Yeo at United Nations Foundation.