Trump: UN just a club for people to have a good time

Donald Trump is questioning the effectiveness of the United Nations, saying it’s just a club for people to “have a good time,” after the UN Security Council voted last week to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, reports the Associated Press. The president-elect wrote Monday on Twitter that the UN has “such great potential,” but it has become “just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!” On Friday, Trump warned, “As to the UN, things will be different after Jan. 20th,” referring to the day he takes office. The decision by the Obama administration to abstain from Friday’s UN vote brushed aside Trump’s demands that the US exercise its veto and provided a climax to years of icy relations with Israel’s leadership. That was only one subject on which Trump tweeted Monday. In an evening post, he wrote that he believes his election as president has boosted the economy. Trump also used social media to complain anew about criticism of the Donald J Trump Foundation. In one post, he said, “The DJT Foundation, unlike most foundations, never paid fees, rent, salaries or any expenses. 100 % of the money goes to wonderful charities.” He also tweeted that “I gave millions of dollars to DJT Foundation, raised or received millions more. ALL of which is given to charity, and media won’t report.” Trump had said Saturday that he wanted to dissolve his charitable foundation amid efforts to eliminate any conflicts of interest before he takes office next month. Trump’s tweet Monday about the UN ignores much of the work that goes on in the 193-member global organisation. This year the UN Security Council has approved over 70 legally binding resolutions, including new sanctions on North Korea and measures tackling conflicts and authorizing the UN’s far-flung peacekeeping operations around the world. The General Assembly has also approved dozens of resolutions on issues, like the role of diamonds in fuelling conflicts; condemned human rights abuses in Iran and North Korea; and authorized an investigation of alleged war crimes in Syria.