President Obama met with world leaders at the United Nations Headquarters inside of New York City yesterday. In a special summit of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) the president called on all member nations to renew their commitment to fundamental goals such as nuclear weapon nonproliferation.
According to The New York Times, President Obama chose not to single out nations, but instead called on all to unite in a common goal. Under the previous administration U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations regularly admonished individual states – particularly North Korea and Iran – for going against U.S. policy. Rather than pushing U.S. policy goals, President Obama is attempting to forge a new international consensus.
The president is hoping to use this opportunity to build new bridges between U.S. diplomacy and the international community in the wake of the Bush administration which scoffed at multilateralism. The United Nations Security Council, which was formed as a global body on security and peacekeeping threats, was completely ignored during the invasion of Iraq and members who disagreed with U.S. policies in certain areas – primarily France, China, and Russia – were treated with hostility.
Compared to his predecessor Barack Obama is widely popular internationally. President Obama, merely by the act of presiding over the UNSC as its chairperson, did much to repair the United States’ relationship with a body which it founded generations ago.
Twelve heads of state and three heads of government were at the table while the president spoke, offering a never before seen opportunity for a sitting U.S. president of drive a multilateral discussion.
After speaking to the United Nations General Assembly and the UNSC the president moved on to the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh where he will discuss critical issues facing the twenty largest economies in the world. The U.S. will likely face a strong contest from nations due to its recent decision regarding Chinese imports.
However, his appearance at the UN this week will likely go a long way toward showing that the U.S. seeks mutual cooperation, and is not looking toward hostile competition and unnecessary “protectionism” that could harm both sides. The president’s remarks on nuclear weapons ring true with his stance on all international issues – “No difference or division is worth destroying all that we have built and all that we have loved.”