Giving Compass' Take:

· Global Citizen reports on some of the key issues addressed in President Trump's UN Speech including sovereignty, foreign aid, refugees, human rights, immigration, and energy.

· What are some possible impacts of reducing funding for foreign aid programs and UN peacekeeping efforts?

· Read more about Trump's plan to limit foreign aid funding.

US President Donald Trump criticized the United Nations Human Rights Council and said that the country will be reviewing its foreign aid commitments while speaking at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

The president also discussed his hope for peace in North Korea, plans to escalate sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, the ongoing trade war with China, and the civil wars in Yemen and Syria.

The main theme running throughout his speech was the importance of sovereignty and how, according to Trump, other countries take advantage of the US.

“America will always choose independence and cooperation over global dominance,” Trump said during his speech. “The US will not tell you how to live or work or worship, we only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.”

Here are five of the most significant issues Trump covered in his speech.

  1. Foreign Aid - Trump said the US will be looking to reduce foreign aid by removing funding from various programs, including UN peacekeeping efforts, and countries that don’t sufficiently support US values.
  2. Refugees - Trump applauded countries like Jordan that have taken in millions of refugees in recent years and pledged to support them. He also said that the best way to help refugees is to work on returning them to their home countries.
  3. Human Rights - Trump saved some of his harshest criticism for the UN Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court. The US withdrew from the UN body earlier in the year because of “chronic bias against Israel.”
  4. Immigration - Trump also reiterated his commitment to reducing immigration into the US. He said the US wouldn’t join the Global Compact on Migration, signed by nearly every country in the world, and said that “illegal immigration funds criminal networks, ruthless gangs, and the flow of drugs” and “hurts hard working citizens and has produced a vicious cycle of crime, violence, and poverty.”
  5. Energy - As the UN tries to guide countries to transition away from fossil fuel economies, Trump announced his intention to increase oil exports and maintain energy independence.

Read the full article about Trump's UN speech by Joe McCarthy at Global Citizen.