US President Trump takes on a new cause: 'Make the United Nations great'

(MENAFN- The Maravi Post) Sixty-four nations, including Malawi, shun the US reform "Make UN and SG accountable" declaration. *By Nahal Toosi/Maravi Post Reporter Monday September 18, 2017 NEW YORK — In his first public outing at the United Nations, UN Host Country, US President Donald Trump, seized on a topic likely to please his domestic Political base as much […]" /> img.wp-smiley, img.emoji { display: inline !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; height: 1em !important; width: 1em !important; margin: 0 .07em !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; background: none !important; padding: 0 !important; } .sfsi_plus_subscribe_Popinner { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; border: 1px solid #b5b5b5 !important; padding: 18px 0px !important; background-color: #ffffff !important; } .sfsi_plus_subscribe_Popinner form { margin: 0 20px !important; } .sfsi_plus_subscribe_Popinner h5 { font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif !important; font-weight: bold !important; 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Sixty-four nations, including Malawi, shun the US reform "Make UN and SG accountable" declaration.

*By Nahal Toosi/Maravi Post Reporter

Monday September 18, 2017

NEW YORK — In his first public outing at the United Nations, UN Host Country, US President Donald Trump, seized on a topic likely to please his domestic political base as much as the "global elite" they despise.

Reforming the United Nations, Trump declared Monday to an audience of dozens of diplomats, is crucial to helping the world body achieve its "full potential."

"We seek a United Nations that regains the trust of the people around the world," Trump said. "In order to achieve this, the United Nations must hold every level of management accountable, protect whistle-blowers and focus on results rather than on process."

For Trump, the momentum behind U.N. reform is a political gift on multiple levels.

He can point to the reform push — being spearheaded on the U.S. side by his popular U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley — to assuage his nationalist-leaning base, which views multilateral institutions with suspicion. And he can do so without spurning the U.N., whose help he is counting on to tackle crises such as North Korea's nuclear threat.

"It's a really natural priority for President Trump given his base's skepticism of the U.N. and given Republicans' frustrations with the U.N.," said Alex Conant, a Republican media strategist.

"There's so much room for improvement at the U.N. Just adding transparency and better financial controls could be considered a significant reform."

Never mind that at this stage, "U.N. reform" remains as ill-defined and confusing as the U.N.'s organization chart. United Nations Secretary-General, Guterres wants big changes, including less confusing lines of authority, and more accountability. But specifics are few, and it could be years before the full impact is clear.

Still, to attend the Trump-hosted session on U.N. reform, fellow member states had to sign on to a vague, but sweeping 10-point declaration of support for Guterres' vision, and dozens did so, reflecting broad support for the long-term vision.

The supportive countries include some whose governments had tense relationships with former President Barack Obama's administration and which are now eager to ingratiate themselves with Trump. Among them is Hungary, which critics say is sliding into autocracy under prime minister Viktor Orban. Orban's government is much happier dealing with the new U.S. commander-in-chief, who has hinted at a fondness for strongmen.

Of the 193 member states of the UN, 64 countries, including Malawi, did NOT sign the US reform declaration. The countries by regional group, are as follows:

AFRICAN GROUP
1. Angola
2. Botswana
3. Cabo Verde
4. Central African Republic
5. Chad
6. Comoros
7. Congo
8. Cote d'Ivoire
9. Democratic Republic of the Congo
10. Gabon
11. Ghana
12. Guinea
13. Guinea-Bissau
14. Lesotho
15. Madagascar
16. Malawi
17. Mauritius
18. Mozambique
19. Sao Tome & Principe
20. Sierra Leone
21. South Africa
22. South Sudan
23. Swaziland
24. Togo
25. Tanzania
26. Zambia
27. Zimbabwe

EASTERN EUROPE AND ASIA
28. Afghanistan
29. Cambodia
30. China
31. DPRK
32. Fiji
33. Iran
34. Kyrgyzstan
35. Lao PDR
36. Mongolia
37. Nauru
38. Pakistan
39. Singapore
40. Syrian Arab Republic
41. Tajikistan
42. Turkmenistan
43. Vietnam
44. Armenia
45. Belarus
46. Russian Federation

CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICA
47. Antigua & Barbuda
48. Barbados
49. Belize
50. Bolivia
51. Brazil
52. Chile
53. Cuba
54. Dominica
55. Ecuador
56. El Salvador
57. Grenada
58. Guatemala
59. Guyana
60. Nicaragua
61. Saint Kitts & Nevis
62. Suriname
63. Trinidad & Tobago
64. Venezuela

*Nahal Toosi is a foreign affairs correspondent at POLITICO.

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