U.S. under Trump was only vote against 'International Day of Hope' resolution at UN General Assembly

On March 4, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a draft resolution declaring  July 12 the “International Day of Hope” (document A/79/L.54) by a vote of 161 to 1 in favor, with 4 abstentions. 

The U.S. under President Donald Trump was the lone vote against the resolution, while India, Paraguay, Peru and Türkiye abstained. Countries voting for the resolution included adversaries such as Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Lebanon, and North and South Korea. 

The resolution recognizes “the relevance of hope and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.” 

The International Day of Hope is celebrated annually to bring people together "to share the science, stories, and strategies of hope, empowering individuals and communities worldwide to activate hope.” 

Upon introducing the resolution, Kiribati’s representative said that hope is “a force that has carried humanity through the darkest of times and propelled us towards a future of possibility, resilience and renewal,” according to a UN report: press.un.org/... 

However, he expressed disappointment over the decision by the United States to force a vote.

Why did the U.S. oppose it?  

The delegate of the United States said that the text “contains references to diversity, equity and inclusion that conflict with US policies that seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination and create equal opportunities for all.”  

“In a world that faces many challenges, funding and effort should be allocated to critical causes and crises, rather than International Days,” he added. 

After the Assembly adopted the text of the resolution by a recorded vote, the representative of Cuba stated, “What we’ve just seen this morning is a clear example of the lack of commitment by the United States to a culture of peace, to the United Nations as a whole and to multilateralism in general. 

After the vote, Kathryn Goetzke, Chief Hope Officer at The Shine Hope Company, noted on Facebook: “There was only 1 vote against this resolution, and it was by the United States. The argument was that Hope is the same as peace and happiness (which is not true), and we already have days for them...And also that the resolution included the word 'diversity', which is opposed to our values in the US.” 

“Wow. I'll have a lot to say on this in the coming weeks and months ahead. Makes me even more committed to making our first official International Day of Hope one to remember. All hands on deck for Hope! Mark your calendars for July 12, 2025!,” she concluded. 

On the same day, the UN General Assembly also considered the draft resolution titled “International Day of Peaceful Coexistence” (document A/79/L.53).  

Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister for Transportation and Telecommunications of Bahrain, introduced the text, stating “that it reaffirms the role of Member States and other stakeholders in promoting tolerance, respect for religious and cultural diversity and human rights.:  

The representative of the Trump Administration called for a recorded vote on this text — and said the U.S. would vote no — expressing concern that the resolution “advances a programme of soft global governance that is inconsistent with US sovereignty”.   

“Simply put, globalist endeavours like Agenda 2030 and the SDGs lost at the ballot box; therefore, the US rejects and denounces the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the SDG,” he claimed. 

He also expressed concern that the resolution’s titular reference to “peaceful coexistence” could be “co-opted to imply the United Nations’ endorsement of China’s ‘Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence’”.   

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, China’s representative said that such principles are “widely recognized by the international community and contained in many international instruments.” 

On this vote, the representatives of two other countries, Argentina and Israel, joined the U.S. in voting no on the resolution. 

Adopting the resolution by a recorded vote of 162 in favour to 3 against (Argentina, Israel, United States), with 2 abstentions (Paraguay, Peru), the Assembly decided to proclaim 28 January as the “International Day of Peaceful Coexistence,” to be observed annually, the UN reported.