On Sept. 23, President Donald Trump made a speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, criticizing the organization. “Empty words don’t solve wars,” said Trump. He went on to claim he was doing a better job of facilitating discussion and ending wars than the UN.
President Trump condemned other countries for actions relating to renewable energy, technology, and foreign policy. On immigration, he said, “it’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders…. Your countries are going to hell.”
President Trump has previously defunded and withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council, the UN World Health Organization, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), an agency for Palestinian refugees. The UN began in 1945 at the end of World War II as a way to prevent future wars and provide for international peace.
“The nature of [the UN] sounds so amazing,” said Political Economy and HL History teacher Chris Buehler. “What if countries had shared power and could communicate and discuss, and debate things that are of global importance, and [help] folks who are on the margins globally?”
Lincoln students in Model UN, a student simulation of the United Nations, are concerned about Trump’s actions. Henry Poizer, president of the club, notes that “undeveloped nations rely heavily on the U.S.’s contributions.” He highlights that, “If the U.S. pulls out, then to put it blankly, it makes us look like a bad country.”
He also explains the effect on Model UN, “How can we make a model decision to send an aid package to a country when we don’t have the funding for it?” said Poizer.
The U.S. is one of the main funders of the UN, making a greater influence on decision-making. In addition, as a member of the Security Council, the US has the power to veto any major resolutions as it sees fit.
Buehler believes we can “make the world a better place” by “allowing countries of the global South and folks on the margin a voice at that table as opposed to just the more powerful states,” said Buehler.
Buehler also believes in the importance of the UN’s projected values: inclusion, integrity, humility, and humanity.
“It’s important to focus at least on the projected values of the UN, and those are the things that we should strive for. The enforcement is more complex, but …we should have the values that we are moving towards,” said Buehler.