In an ordinary year, mid-September in New York would feature traffic jams grotesque even by Manhattan standards, compounded by complaints about diplomats shirking parking fines and allegations of espionage. These would be followed up by lengthy speeches, fiery denunciations of the United States, and outraged editorials lamenting the hypocrisy of offending states on the United Nations Human Rights Council. All part of the annual New York ritual known as the convocation of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA).
This year’s largely virtual assembly, which the organization is using to celebrate the U.N.’s 75th anniversary, seems laughably mistimed, given that the Trump administration has withdrawn from participation in the Human Rights Council, refused funding for Palestinian refugees, and is $3.6 billion behind on its financial contributions to the organization. The United States has chafed for decades at its U.N. dues—one-fifth of the body’s total budget—but under the Trump administration, U.S. animosity toward the U.N. has hit new highs.
