Pence Asserts to U.N. That America First Doesn’t Mean America Alone, According to Reuters

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS – Vice President Mike Pence addressed the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, emphasizing that President Donald Trump’s "America First" policy does not equate to isolationism. He called for reforms to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and credibility of U.N. peacekeeping missions.

During the annual session of world leaders at the United Nations, the 15-member council deliberated on ways to improve peacekeeping operations. Currently, there are 15 U.N. peacekeeping missions, with a projected cost exceeding $7.3 billion for the upcoming year.

Since January, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, has spearheaded initiatives to reduce expenses and is scrutinizing the mandates of each peacekeeping operation as they come up for renewal. The Trump administration aims to lower the U.S. contribution to peacekeeping costs to 25 percent from the current 28.5 percent, which they argue is excessive.

The United States holds veto power in the council alongside the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.

Pence stated, "Peacekeeping missions must support a political solution; have the consent of the host country; their mandates must be realistic and achievable; every mission must have an exit strategy; and U.N. peacekeeping missions should adapt to both progress and setbacks."

He elaborated, "In summary, when a mission succeeds, we should not extend it unnecessarily. If a mission is underperforming, we ought to restructure it. And if a mission consistently fails to comply with the council’s mandates, we should bring it to an end."

The Security Council unanimously passed a resolution on Wednesday advocating for enhanced accountability, transparency, and efficiency, while urging for greater flexibility among peacekeepers. However, some critics express concern that significant budget cuts could jeopardize operations in unstable regions of Africa.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has promised to improve the efficiency of U.N. peacekeeping but highlighted that the current budget for it accounts for less than half of 1 percent of total global military spending.

"Over the years and worldwide, 55 peacekeeping operations have successfully completed their mandates," Guterres remarked to the council. "Many political missions have achieved similar results."

He stressed the importance of ensuring that mission mandates are clearly defined and that operations are adequately equipped.