President Donald Trump urged members of the United Nations Security Council to take action against those who would challenge international peace and security.
“Our nation,” he said, “faces serious and growing threats, and many of them stem from problems that have been unaddressed for far too long.”
“I encourage the Security Council,” said President Trump, “to come together and take action to counter all of these many threats.” He noted his “great disappointment” over the repeated failure of the Security Council to respond to Syria's use of chemical weapons.
“The status quo in North Korea is also unacceptable,” said President Trump, “and the Council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs. . . .North Korea is a big world problem, and it's a problem we have to finally solve.”
“For the United Nations to play an effective role in solving these and other security challenges, big reforms will be required,” said Mr. Trump. In addition, the U.N. budget must also be reviewed.
Presently, the United States, one of 193 countries in the U.N., pays for 22 percent of the budget and almost 30 percent of the United Nations peacekeeping. This is “unfair,” said President Trump. “We need the member states to come together to eliminate inefficiency and bloat, and to ensure that no one nation shoulders a disproportionate share of the burden militarily or financially.
While President Trump noted some of the UN’s challenges in achieving its mission, he said, “I see fantastic potential and fantastic things ahead for the United Nations.”
The mission of the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council is to maintain international peace and security. These are important aims and shared interests, said President Trump. That’s why the United States looks forward to working with members of the Security Council to take decisive action against those who threaten international peace.