United States Mission to the United Nations
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
For immediate publication
December 23, 2022
FACT SHEET: Presentation of US leadership to the UN during the second year of Biden’s presidency
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) showcased U.S. multilateral leadership at the U.N., globally, and domestically throughout the year. From holding Russia accountable for its aggressive war against Ukraine, to leading global efforts to combat food insecurity, to passing a landmark UN Security Council resolution ensuring the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid through UN sanctions regimes, the U.S. Mission advances U.S. interests and advances the Biden administration’s political objectives .
USUN advocates for US human rights priorities while countering anti-Israel bias at the UN. We defended the UN Charter in the face of Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we pressed the UN Security Council to hold the DPRK accountable for repeated provocations in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We have launched new initiatives to increase the number of American citizens working at the UN and have led reform efforts to ensure that the UN is fit for purpose in the 21st century. Through Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield’s international and domestic travels, the mission advanced the Biden administration’s initiatives to strengthen democracy, engage youth, and recruit a more diverse workforce that better represents the American people.
In 2022, the US Mission to the UN has:
Hold Russia accountable for the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine
The USUN and our partners have kept the threat to international peace and security caused by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine high on the agenda of the UN Security Council, convening more than 40 Council meetings to hold Russia accountable for violations of the UN Charter and international humanitarian and human rights activities. The USUN used the Security Council’s role as an important public forum to shed light on Russia’s atrocities, debunk Russian disinformation in real time, and demonstrate Russia’s growing international isolation.
USUN led the UN Security Council’s efforts to establish an extraordinary special session on Ukraine at the UN General Assembly. It then convened the UN General Assembly to adopt resolutions by 141 votes in March condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and demanding that Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. In October, USUN worked with partners and allies to garner 143 General Assembly votes to reject Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Ukrainian territory and uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In April, after obtaining credible evidence of mass atrocities and human rights violations committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, the USUN led a successful attempt to suspend Russia’s participation in the Human Rights Council. USUN also worked with partners to successfully challenge Russia’s candidatures in four ECOSOC subsidiary bodies: the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (C-NGO), the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII), and the boards of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Unit United Nations Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women).
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield traveled to Ukraine in November to express American solidarity and support for President Zelensky, humanitarian workers, agricultural experts, victims of Russian atrocities, and Ukrainian officials collecting evidence of war crimes. She saw first-hand the impact of Putin’s war on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and civilian population, and upon her return to New York briefed the UN Security Council.
The United States worked closely with Ukraine and like-minded partners to draft a UN General Assembly resolution recommending the creation of a compensation record and emphasizing the need for a mechanism to ensure redress for damage, injury and damage caused by Russia’s unlawful actions.
The USUN and like-minded partners called for investigations into violations of UN Security Council resolutions resulting from Russia’s purchases of arms and equipment from Iran and the DPRK.
It has brought global food insecurity to the forefront
During its presidency of the UN Security Council in May, the USUN convened an open debate on global food insecurity and organized a ministerial meeting at the UN that resulted in a roadmap for global food security – a call to action that over 100 countries joined. The US also co-chaired the World Summit on Food Security at the Heads of State level, held on the sidelines of 77. resilient agriculture and food systems.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield highlighted US efforts to strengthen global food security during her trip to Ghana in August, where she announced $22.5 million in food security development assistance for African countries and presented a “Vision for Peace and Security Progress” food in Africa. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also traveled to several cities to discuss ways to address global food insecurity, including hosting events at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Urban Growers Collective in Chicago, Museum of the African Diaspora’s Black Food Summit in San Francisco and World Central Kitchen in Bucharest, Romania and New York. She also co-hosted an event with UNICEF about wasting children that involved New York City chefs.
USUN hosted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in June and Ambassador Jim O’Brien, head of the State Department’s Sanctions Coordination Office, in July for a series of talks with UN officials, member states, and the media about U.S. efforts to mitigate the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine to global food security.
Key humanitarian programs supported to help those most in need around the world
Together with Ireland, the USUN led a historic UN Security Council initiative to adopt an unprecedented and long-sought resolution exempting humanitarian aid from all UN sanctions.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield traveled to the Turkey-Syria border in June to support the renewal of Syria’s cross-border humanitarian mechanism, and has pledged to provide more than $1.5 billion in US humanitarian aid to Syrians this year. The USUN was able to secure a successful mandate extension in July 2022.
During her August trip to Africa, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield announced $127 million in humanitarian aid to meet the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and forcibly displaced and persecuted people across Africa.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield announced at a high-level meeting in March to support humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan that the US would contribute $204 million to humanitarian operations.
During her November trip to Ukraine, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield announced $25 million to support preparations for winter in Ukraine. She also announced $50 million in aid to help the Moldovan government and its people deal with the aftermath of the Russian war. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield also traveled to Moldova and Romania in April to meet with Ukrainian refugees and the humanitarian organizations supporting them.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield co-hosted the Haiti Basket Fund event with the Canadians during UNGA High Level Week and announced $3 million in security assistance for Haiti. USUN also led efforts in the UN Security Council to establish, by unanimous vote, the first new UN sanctions regime for violent gang members and sponsors in Haiti since 2017. The sanctions were welcomed by the Haitians and were part of a wider humanitarian effort to reach the most vulnerable communities.
In light of Iran’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, especially women and girls, the USUN led efforts to remove Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the first time a country had been removed from the organization. USUN also co-hosted with Albania the Arria-Formula UN Security Council meeting on the protests in Iran and government acts of repression and violence.
USUN successfully advocated the publication of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report on Xinjiang. USUN also co-hosted an event highlighting the genocide in China and human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkish Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region.
Working closely with the UK, the USUN led to the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution condemning last year’s military coup in Burma and the regime’s gross human rights abuses, and calling for the release of arbitrarily held prisoners.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield became the international champion of gender and continued to advocate for the advancement of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Security Council.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield made it a priority to visit Afghan refugees during her domestic trip. In October, the US joined 26 other UN member states in the Friends of Women in Afghanistan Group in issuing a joint statement reaffirming the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and condemning the Taliban’s continued curtailment of those rights.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield attended the UNGA Core Group High Level Meeting of the UN LGBTI Core Group with Secretary Blinken and Special Envoy Stern.
In June, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield co-hosted with Albania an Arria Security Council meeting on arbitrarily detained and missing persons in Syria, calling for increased international efforts to free those held by the Assad regime and others.
During her visit to the Bay Area in September, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield gave a keynote address on the future of the United Nations. In the Ambassador’s speech, delivered at the Fairmont Hotel, where the United Nations Charter was first drafted and negotiated, she laid out the basic tenets of the United States regarding continued membership of the United Nations and her promise to work towards a significant reform of the United Nations Security Council.
Following on from President Biden’s statement at the 77th UNGA High Level Week, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield made remarks at the UNGA’s Annual Security Council Reform Debate, pledging U.S. support for the expansion of the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent terms, in including new permanent headquarters for countries from Africa and Latin America.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and USUN leaders launched extensive consultations with intergovernmental negotiating leaders, regional blocs, Member State Interest Groups, individual Member States and civil society to ensure that all stakeholders are heard and involved in the Security Council reform process.
In April, the US co-sponsored a UN General Assembly resolution chaired by a core group of Member States led by Liechtenstein and Mexico on the responsible use of the veto power. This innovative measure automatically convenes a meeting of the General Assembly when a Security Council veto is overruled – a significant step towards accountability, transparency and accountability for all P5 members who have veto power.
USUN’s reform efforts include broader work on budget and governance issues. While negotiating the UN budget for peacekeeping missions, the USUN successfully launched initiatives to improve the financial situation of the UN, promote diversity, equality and inclusion in the Secretariat, and address systemic issues such as unacceptable living conditions for soldiers, sexual exploitation and abuse, and performance measurement missions . Following press reports of fraud and mismanagement at the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), USUN led efforts to improve oversight of UN funds and programs and strengthen audit and ethics offices.
Supported American candidates for key UN positions, recruited a diverse workforce, and championed the principles of diversity, equality, inclusion, and accessibility
USUN led and supported several high-level campaigns for UN elected positions, including the all-important election of Doreen Bogdan-Martin as Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the key UN organization that coordinates global telecommunications networks, and the election of U.S. candidates to the Human Rights Committee and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Affairs.
In October, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield announced a $500,000 scholarship program to support US students from underprivileged communities to complete internships at the United Nations. This inaugural scholarship program was supported by Schmidt Futures and the Eleanor Crook Foundation and will be administered by the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA).
Recognizing commitment to diversity, equality, inclusion, and accessibility as hallmarks of the Biden administration and essential to true progress in U.S. foreign policy, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield deliberately prioritized and conducted information campaigns to engage young Americans, especially from underrepresented communities and universities to encourage them to consider a career in diplomacy or public service. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield has attended dozens of briefings and student meetings at Historically Black schools and universities, local high schools, and UN model groups on the foreign policy priorities of the US, the UN, and multilateral organizations. In addition, USUN has strengthened the work of and collaborated with the UNA-USA Youth Observer to build a network of government officials who promote the democratic values and importance of the UN in addressing global challenges.
As Co-Chair of the United Nations Accessibility Steering Committee, USUN has improved the UN’s physical and digital accessibility for people with disabilities, including opening the long-awaited UN Gateway, which can be used by wheelchair users without assistance. In addition, the USUN has raised concerns among UN staff who face employment barriers due to their disabilities.
Promoting a free, open, inclusive and secure digital future
During the US Presidency of the UN Security Council in May, USUN hosted an event dedicated to the responsible use of digital technologies. This topic is new and has historically been rarely discussed in the Council and has provided an opportunity for members to address both the opportunities and challenges facing the Security Council to harness the power of digital technologies for global peace and security, which Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield further explored in an article for The Economist.
During September’s visit to the Bay Area, Ambassador Lindy Thomas-Greenfield hosted a discussion at Stanford University with leaders of American companies, including Alphabet, AirBnB, Meta, Microsoft and Visa. The round table highlighted opportunities for technology companies to play a constructive role in solving global security issues, including through cooperation with the United Nations.
He advocated the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions
Since December, the DPRK has fired an unprecedented number of eight intercontinental ballistic missiles and more than 60 ballistic missiles – two and a half times its previous annual record. However, the UN Security Council is silent due to the inaction of two members – Russia and China. The USUN has consistently called for Council unity in condemning the reckless and dangerous behavior of the DPRK in numerous Council meetings. USUN has led its allies and partners in issuing more than 10 joint statements in 2022 echoing these calls.
The mission drew the attention of the 2231 Iran Sanctions Committee and the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee to information regarding violations of multiple UN Security Council resolutions resulting from the transfer of arms and equipment from Iran and the DPRK to Russia and Kremlin-backed entities used to conduct illegal and unjustified war between Russia and Ukraine.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Israeli Mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and the US Mission defended Israel against unfair attacks in the Security Council, General Assembly, Human Rights Council and other UN bodies.
The United States co-sponsored a resolution drafted by Israel condemning Holocaust denial, which was adopted by consensus at the UN General Assembly. The UN has not adopted a resolution on this topic for fifteen years.
Which cabinet department protects the rights of American citizens?
The ambassador and mission leadership attended several public events with the Israeli Mission and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, and regularly met with American Jewish leaders for briefings, formal remarks, and small-group discussions to keep them informed of developments at the United Nations.
By the United States Mission to the United Nations | December 23, 2022 | Topics: Highlights, Notes, and Highlights This may interest you : Opinion: The political disappearance of Boris Johnson offers a lesson for American Republicans.
What does the president’s Cabinet do?
After the start of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized that U.S. leadership was necessary to create another international organization to preserve peace, and his administration engaged in international diplomacy in pursuit of that goal.
Which executive department protects the rights of American citizens?
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, established in 1957 under the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of everyone in the United States, particularly some of our society’s most vulnerable members. See the article : United States Attorney’s Office File Civil Forfeiture Action To Reclaim Cryptocurrency Investment Scam Program.
Which is the most important department of United Nations?
Which cabinet protects the security of our country? The mission of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide the military forces needed to stop the war and protect the security of our country. See the article : About 250 migrants from Honduras go to the United States fleeing poverty. The department’s headquarters is in the Pentagon.
The role of the Cabinet is to advise the President on any matter he may require in connection with the duties of each member’s respective office.
Who leads the UN General Assembly?
| The mission of the Department of Justice (DOJ) is to uphold the rule of law, the security of our country and the protection of civil rights. | |
|---|---|
| The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policy-making and representative body of the United Nations. All 193 UN member states are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation. | |
| What does the General Assembly at the United Nations do? The Assembly makes recommendations to states on international issues within its competence. It has also acted in all pillars of the United Nations, including political, economic, humanitarian, social and legal issues. | |
| President of the UN General Assembly | |
| United Nations flag | Incumbent Csaba KÅrösi since 13 September 2022 |
Where is the UN General Assembly 2022?
United Nations General Assembly
Who are the members of UN General Assembly?
Style
Who are the top 5 in the UN?
His Excellency
- UN General Assembly, New York, September 20-23, 2022
- Membership. All 193 members of the United Nations are members of the General Assembly, with the addition of the Holy See and Palestine as observer states.
- 5 permanent members with veto power:
- China.
- France.
Russian Federation.
Why are there 5 permanent members of the UN?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Who are the 5 founding members of UN?
United States of America.
