On 20 August 2025 devex published an exclusive report on an email from the US State Department, shared with US embassies, in which it set out its agenda for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.

It called for a “fundamental rethink” of the international humanitarian system and a decreased reliance on US funding. “It is imperative for other donors to step up.”

It also addresses the question of what the UN should be doing.

The email outlines three central policy priorities it supports, including peace, sovereignty and liberty, but did not include development (which alongside peace, security and human rights) is one of the UN’s three basic pillars.

“The UN system has been used to expand so-called human rights in a manner that makes a mockery of traditional notions of liberty. Certain countries have also used the system to push a highly politicized liberal agenda against the sovereign prerogatives of other states. Member states should bear in mind the meaning of human rights at the time of the signing of the Charter and avoid the absurdities and distortions of recent times.”

Also the US has frequently criticized the UN’s peacekeeping operations, stating that such activities have long been fraught with waste and abuse.

The country paid for nearly 27% of the U.N. peacekeeping budget for 2024 to 2025, but in July the Trump administration cut $361 million in previously-approved funding.