There is a “cancer” within the United Nations—a term employed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon himself—and it must be cut out. I don’t repeat this lightly, especially not as one of the organization’s chief advocates.

Despite Ban’s commitment to a “zero- tolerance policy against sexual exploitation” by the U.N.’s own personnel, a scourge of abuse continues, with recent reports detailing a new wave of nightmarish allegations against U.N. and French peacekeepers.

It’s maddening that a few bad cells threaten the system. On the whole, the U.N. is a healthy body, literally sustaining life around the globe through its work providing food, vaccines, shelter, and security to millions. And every day, peacekeepers are accomplishing remarkable feats, stabilizing countries on the brink of collapse, as in the Central African Republic (CAR), or sheltering civilians from rebel attacks in fragile states such as South Sudan.