President Javier Mlei called on the United Nations to rededicate itself to ending war and ensuring peace on Wednesday as he again accused the multilateral organisation of “overreach.”
Slamming it as a “supranational model of governance led by international bureaucrats, who seek to impose a particular way of life on the citizens of the world,” Milei restated his criticism of the United Nations as he addressed its 80th General Assembly in New York.
In a self-referential speech that heaped praise on US President Donald Trump, Milei called on member states to “reject the [United Nations’] overreaches” that, according to him, often accompany what he described as “noble agendas.”
“We have gone from being an organisation that aimed to mediate peace among equals to one that seeks to dictate what each nation-state and individual must do across the various corners of the globe,” said the La Libertad Avanza leader.
It was Milei’s second speech to the annual gathering of world leaders and Argentina’s President insisted on referencing his 2024 speech.
“Last year, I stood before you, at this very assembly, and asserted that a return to the ideas of liberty was imperative – to the immortal principles that uphold the dignity of life, freedom, and property of all individuals under the rule of law,” said the President, addressing a hall that was barely half-full.
“I also warned that the UN had strayed from its original course in recent decades. The successful model that championed the need for ‘peace without victory,’ and which was founded on cooperation between nation-states, has been replaced by a supranational model of governance led by international bureaucrats, who seek to impose a particular way of life on the citizens of the world,” he argued.
“We believe in the original purpose of this organisation; we believe that global challenges exist which require dialogue and international cooperation to be resolved,” he asserted in his 15-minute speech.
Argentina’s leader was keen to ally himself with US President Donald Trump, who he praised for tackling illegal immigration and “cleaning up” the US government.
“‘These types of challenges that both President Trump and I are addressing have a common denominator that all countries in the world, and even supranational organisations, must face. They must find a way to regain an interest in the future and not succumb to the temptation to only address the present,’ he said.
Proposals
Milei, speaking on his 12th visit to the United States since his December 2023 inauguration, proposed four principles for UN reform. Adopting those goals, he said, would reduce overreach.
First, the body’s “central mission” should be to international peace and security, with all resources dedicated to that goal. Second, he said the UN should only intervene when nations cannot act. Milei went on to call for greater “institutional efficiency” with funding that is subject to “verifiable results,” and for existing regulation to be simplified and rationalised.
Argentina’s government would “never support the curtailment of individual or commercial freedoms, nor the violation of the natural rights of the citizens of member states,” he added.
“The entire world appears to be stuck in the comfort of the present, ignoring the consequences this may bring in the future,” he complained.
“As discomfort costs votes and power to those who embrace it, leaders prefer to do everything in their power to preserve the inherited status quo – even at the expense of future consequences.”
He added: “They set the future ablaze to keep the present warm.”
“It is my duty to warn against this evil because in Argentina we have experienced it to its natural conclusion. We have reached the end of the comfortable path that leads to ignoring the future. We come from a future that, for you, has not yet arrived. And I want to tell you that you still have time to avoid it,” he warned world leaders.
“We are not… the only ones making the difficult decisions demanded by this historical moment,” said Milei. “President Trump, in the United States, also understands that it is time to reverse a dynamic that was leading the United States to a catastrophe.”
Fierce critic
Milei is a fierce critic of the United Nations, not least its efforts to tackle climate change and introduce sustainable development goals, such as the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030, an intensified battle against hunger, promotion of gender equality and education.
Earlier this year, he announced Argentina would exit the World Health Organisation (WHO), describing it as a “criminal organisation” responsible for committing crimes against humanity through its recommendations during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Milei also slammed the “indiscriminate immigration for political reasons,” describing it as “an invasion” propelled by the policies of multilateral organisations, including the UN.
Argentina’s history is defined by waves of European immigration, particularly from Spain and Italy, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In recent decades, immigrants have mostly arrived from neighbouring countries in Latin America.
Milei also denounced what he described as “an unacceptable escalation in political violence on the part of the left.”
“It is unacceptable to resort to force where reason fails, which is why we emphatically condemn these actions that violate the basic norms of democratic coexistence,” he said.
Sovereignty claims, foreign policy
Argentina’s President went on to reiterate his nation’s sovereignty claim over the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, stating they are “illegally occupied” by the United Kingdom.
Milei then called for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
He also demanded the “immediate release” of security officer Nahuel Gallo, who has been held by the Venezuelan government since December 2024.
Milei is due to attend a gala later this evening, at which he will receive the Atlantic Council’s 2025 Global Citizen Award from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who earlier today said Washington is in talks with Buenos Aires over a US$20-billion currency swap.
Bessent added Wednesday that the US Treasury “stands ready to purchase Argentina’s USD bonds and will do so as conditions warrant,” among other measures.
“We stand ready to do what is needed to support Argentina,” he wrote in a post on social media, underlining that the nation “has the tools to defeat speculators, including those who seek to destabilise Argentina’s markets for political objectives.”
On Thursday, his last day of activities in New York, the President will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He is due to return to Buenos Aires on Friday.
– TIMES/NA/AFP
