United Nations News
Track how the United Nations influences global issues such as climate, human rights, and peacekeeping, with reporting and commentary.
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- Opinion
At the UN, Trump Ends the Era of Leading From Behind
Speaking at the United Nations on Tuesday, President Donald Trump delivered one of the most powerful speeches of his presidency thus far. The speech was an emphatic rejection of President Barack Obama’s “leading from behind” mantra, giving an assertive defense of American leadership on the world stage. The president also delivered strong condemnations of an…Nile Gardiner -
- News
6 Key Takeaways From Trump’s Big UN Speech
In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump delivered remarks in many ways unlike those previous U.S. presidents have delivered before the world body. Along with remarks that broadly projected statesmanlike leadership, the speech was sprinkled with vintage Trump rhetoric, such as a derogatory nickname for North Korean dictator Kim…Fred Lucas -
- News
Trump Calls for Reforming UN Bureaucracy
President Donald Trump praised the new leadership of the United Nations on Monday for promoting reform in the global body, often criticized for bloated bureaucracy, ineffectiveness, and scandal. “The United Nations has not reached its full potential,” @POTUS says. Trump and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres both ascended to their respective offices this year and have…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Trump Should End All Speculation on Paris Agreement by Withdrawing From UN Framework Convention
Over the weekend, to the shock of many observers and loyal members of President Donald Trump’s base, The Wall Street Journal reported that the administration was seeking to avoid withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. Top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn quickly sought to squelch these rumors, saying, “We are withdrawing, and we made…Nicolas Loris -
- News
The Reforms Trump Will Push at the UN
President Donald Trump, a Republican and lifelong businessman who criticized the United Nations as a candidate, has common ground with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who spent much of his political life in socialist politics. “The president has always believed there is great potential in the United Nations,” @NikkiHaley says. Both are demanding reform to the…Fred Lucas -
- News
Trump to Kim Jong Un: Military Strike ‘Would Be a Sad Day for North Korea’
President Donald Trump warned it would be a “very sad day for North Korea” if the United States had to use a military option to confront the regime’s aggressive nuclear testing and audacious threats. “Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing’s inevitable,” @POTUS says. Over the weekend, North Korea’s communist dictator…Fred Lucas -
- News
US Backing for ‘Nontraditional’ Families at UN Conference Raises Eyebrows
The Trump administration’s stance on United Nations social policy so far is strikingly similar to the Obama administration’s, a leading conservative group that defends religious freedom says. Alliance Defending Freedom International, the global wing of the U.S.-based Christian legal aid group, faults the administration specifically for voting against a “Protection of the Family” resolution during…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
How Britain’s Surrender to the UN Led to Charlie Gard’s Fate
The heartbreaking story of British infant Charlie Gard has transfixed me. Five years ago, my wife almost lost her life during pregnancy complications. Our first son was born early, weighing just 2 pounds. We went through many scary times during the six weeks he was in the NICU. God was merciful to us. Today, Dominic…William Estrada -
- Opinion
UN Policy Still Fails to Protect Whistleblowers
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres wrote a letter to all of the permanent representatives to the U.N. in New York earlier this month, updating them on his management and reform agenda. A number of these initiatives are still in development and awaiting conclusions of various advisory teams or issuing of final reports and, thus, are…Brett Schaefer -
- Opinion
The US Is Right to Insist on Lower UN Peacekeeping Dues
A consistent theme from the earliest days of the Trump administration was the intent to lower the amount that America pays for United Nations peacekeeping. During her confirmation hearing, Ambassador Nikki Haley repeatedly said that the U.S. contribution to the peacekeeping budget was too high and should be lowered to 25 percent. The current U.S….Brett Schaefer -
- Opinion
How the UN Helps Implement China’s Two-Child Policy, and What Should Be Done
According to the United Nations Population Fund, its mission is to provide access to safe, voluntary family planning to women around the world. But a recent decision by the State Department suggests that the U.N. Population Fund’s mission statement is more benign than its actual activities. On April 3, the State Department announced that it…Nicole McGovern -
- Opinion
Trump Affirms Human Rights, Ends US Funding for UN Population Fund
According to the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, which has been regularly attached to foreign appropriations bills since 1985, the president has the authority to withhold federal funding from any organization that “supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.” On April 3, a State Department memo announced that the U.S….Melanie Israel -
- Opinion
UN Takes a Key Step to Address Humanitarian Crisis in Burma
The United Nations approved a resolution on March 24 authorizing a fact-finding mission into human rights violations in Burma. The resolution is the most serious intervention thus far in Rakhine State, where the majority of the 1.2 million Rohingya Muslim population resides. The resolution, adopted by consensus, addresses a wide range of human rights concerns….Yujin Lee -
- News
Vandals Spray-Paint LGBT Slogans on Marriage Groups’ Tour Bus Near UN
Two men spray-painted and smashed the windshield of a tour bus used by the National Organization for Marriage in “broad daylight” Thursday in New York City, the pro-marriage group says. The two men “approached the bus with a can of spray paint and a hammer and they began spray-painting on the side of the bus,”…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
With Budget Plan, Trump Signals ‘Tough Love’ Approach to UN
The Trump administration is promising to reconsider America’s relationship with the United Nations, with the White House aiming to limit U.S. financial contributions to the global body, and to enact reforms. In his first action suggesting a new approach to the international organization, President Donald Trump released a budget proposal Wednesday night that would reduce…Josh Siegel -
- News
Former UN Ambassador John Bolton Shares ‘America First’ Vision
“Our worldview rests on the exceptionalism of America.” That was the message John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations, shared with the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, on Friday. Bolton highlighted three key areas that would be of particular importance during the next four years, and shared his thoughts on how the Trump…James Rogers -
- Opinion
Congress Should Learn From Obama’s Last-Minute UN Spending Binge
During President Barack Obama’s final days in office, administration officials ran through over $700 million in a spending binge designed to fund U.N.-related priorities that lacked support in the Republican-controlled Congress and, likely, the incoming Trump administration. Members of Congress expressed legitimate outrage about this political gifting. But Congress should be more proactive in taking…Brett Schaefer -
- News
Trump Presses UN to Reform. Here’s What Can Be Done to Curtail Its Power.
President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with new United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres—as Trump and some members of Congress are raising longstanding concerns about the organization. “The president-elect has been clear about the U.N.,” presidential transition team spokesman Sean Spicer told The Daily Signal Wednesday during a conference call with reporters. “We will demand…Fred Lucas -
- News
US Has Participated in Other UN Resolutions Chiding Israel
The Israeli government, and Republicans in Congress, have expressed outrage over the Obama administration’s decision to allow adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemns Israel’s settlement construction. These critics are portraying the U.S. move to abstain from the vote on Israel’s settlement activity—rather than using its veto power—as a last symbolic blow from…Josh Siegel -
- News
Israel Green-Lights Settlements After UN Snub
Israeli authorities gave the go-ahead for the construction of hundreds of new settlement sites in East Jerusalem Monday after a United Nations resolution condemned Israel over the issue. The defiant move comes after the U.S. government did not veto the U.N. condemnation of Israeli settlements, a marked change in U.S. policy. The Obama administration affirmed the decision…Saagar Enjeti