NEW YORK • In a wide-ranging speech to the United Nations yesterday, US President Donald Trump also touched on these issues:
THREATS TO SOVEREIGNTY
He decried threats to sovereignty in Ukraine and the South China Sea, but did not explicitly mention Russia and China, even though it was clear the comment was aimed at Moscow and Beijing.
"We must reject threats to sovereignty from the Ukraine to the South China Sea," Mr Trump said. "We must uphold respect for law, respect for borders and respect for culture, and the peaceful engagement these allow."
UNITED NATIONS REFORM
Mr Trump said it was embarrassing that nations with egregious human rights records sat on the UN Human Rights Council.
He also said the US pays 22 per cent of the UN budget, much more than anyone else.
"The United Nations must reform if it is to be an effective partner in confronting threats to sovereignty," said Mr Trump.
He added: "Making a better life for our people is working together in harmony and unity to make a safer future for all people.
"The United States will forever be a great friend to the world and especially to its allies.
-
22% Percentage of the UN budget that Mr Trump says the US pays, much more than anyone else.
"But we can no longer enter into a one-sided deal where the US gets nothing in return."
UNCONTROLLED MIGRATION
Mr Trump said uncontrolled migration was "deeply unfair" for both the receiving and sending countries.
In the case of the sending countries, he said it drains them of the human capital necessary to motivate and implement reforms. In the case of the receiving countries, he said it was the poorest sections of society that felt the biggest burden from hosting the refugees.
"For the cost of resettling one refugee in the United States, we can assist more than 10 in their home region," he pointed out.
Asserting that the US is a compassionate nation that has pledged billions of dollars, he said, "we support the recent agreements of the G-20 nations that will speak to host refugees as close to their home countries as possible".
He thanked Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for hosting refugees from the Syrian conflict.
