Trump slams UN over mismanagement, cost overruns

US President Donald Trump sharply criticised the UN in an address before the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, for financial mismanagement, inefficiency, and what he called a limited role in global conflict resolution — going so far as to recount a failed personal bid to renovate the UN's New York City headquarters.

"They decided to go in another direction, which was much more expensive at the time, and which actually produced a far inferior product," Trump said, recalling a $500 million proposal he made to renovate the UN building, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

"I realized that they did not know what they were doing when it came to construction, and that their building concepts were so wrong, and the product that they were proposing to build was so bad and so costly," he told delegates, criticising the final project for its ballooning budget and compromised design. Trump added, "They did not even get the marble floors that I promised them."

He pointed to massive cost overruns, claiming, the overrun cost the organization between $2 billion and $4 billion. 

Speaking before more than 150 world leaders and top UN officials, Trump continued his broad critique, accusing the organization of failing to engage him in diplomatic efforts he claimed to have led.

“I’ve always said the U.N. has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential,” he said. “For the most part, at least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter. It’s empty words and empty words don’t solve war.”

By Sabina Mammadli