Trump speaks to the UN: Five things to look out for

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US President Donald Trump will deliver his first ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday in New York. This is always a closely watched event, but Trump’s repeated criticism of the UN and his pledges to put "America First" mean this speech will get more attention than most.

Here are five things to look out for when he travels to New York.

UN reform, funding cuts

Trump will be making a big push for reform when he speaks at the UNGA, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters on Friday. The president has also been vocal about the need for drastic funding cuts to the organization.

"The United Nations… holds tremendous potential to realize its founding ideals, but only if it's run more efficiently and effectively," McMaster told reporters.

A US-sponsored declaration on UN reforms has reportedly already received backing from 100 countries, as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The US is the UN’s biggest contributor, covering about 22 percent of its 5.4 billion US dollar budget and 28.5 percent of the peacekeeping budget.

Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) speaks next to European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini (C) during a plenary session at the United Nations building in Vienna, Austria on July 14, 2015. /AFP Photo

Trump has repeatedly slammed the nuclear deal Iran struck with six world powers in 2015, and last week again called it "one of the worst deals I've ever seen."

But allies of the US in Europe are not keen to see Washington tear up a deal it took them years to help craft.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has said Tehran is complying with the agreement, which saw sanctions against Iran lifted in exchange for halting its nuclear program.

For now the deal remains in place but Trump could use his speech at the UNGA to point the finger again at Iran, which he has previously accused of supporting terrorism.

Climate change

Trump announced in June that the US will pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. But over the weekend, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to say the move was still open to negotiation.

Heavy winds and rain from Hurricane Irma are seen in Miami, Florida, September 10, 2017. /AFP Photo

In a US television interview, Tillerson said Washington might remain in the accord "under the right conditions."

The White House later denied it was reconsidering withdrawing from the agreement but the topic will no doubt be on the table at the General Assembly, especially in the wake of devastating hurricanes that have wrecked the southern US and Caribbean in recent weeks, and which experts say were likely made much stronger due to climate change.

DPRK, Myanmar...

The DPRK nuclear threat and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar will be at the top of the agenda of the UN General Assembly and will also likely feature in Trump’s speech.

But other crises such as the dispute between Qatar and Gulf states, the conflict in Syria and global terrorism will also be discussed. On Tuesday, Trump is set to meet with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Nikki trumps Rex

The US secretary of state habitually represents US interests abroad, jetting between foreign capitals to meet with leaders and push the current administration’s agenda. But Tillerson has taken a backseat under Trump, especially compared with his high-profile predecessors John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.

Instead, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is often the one to speak for the US and spell out its foreign policy. And this will likely be the case again at the General Assembly this week.

This file photo taken on September 4, 2017 shows United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaking during a UN Security Council emergency meeting over North Korea's latest nuclear test at UN Headquarters in New York. /AFP Photo

"The perennial question will have to be asked again - where's Rex?," Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Wilson Center, told CNN.

Usually, "we would have the secretary of state leading on Arab-Israel issues, Iran, climate change and being the repository of responsibility for foreign policy," but this is not the case under Trump, according to Miller.

Instead, the president will be accompanied by Vice President Mike Pence, economic advisor Gary Cohn, as well as his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner.

Uncertainty

One thing we’ve learned so far with the Trump presidency is that it’s unpredictable.

The president will likely stick to his scripted speech, but expect strong rhetoric.

On Friday, Haley gave a taste of what’s to come: "There's a lot of interest in how the US is going to do, and they're going to find out we're going to be solid, we're going to be strong."‍

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