One benefit of the UN, though it may not take proactive steps, is that it is an outlet to prevent a problem from becoming worse. It's very much cathartic theater. So, when the Soviet Union put down uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia that were tacitly encouraged by the US, there was a forum whereby the Soviet action could be condemned while avoiding military action that would have made the situation much much worse. Viewing the UN through the lens of cathartic inaction speaks to a different kind of utility.