After nearly two years in service, the United States’ Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley announced her resignation from her post. Haley was one of President Donald Trump’s first political appointments, assuming her post just one week after Trump’s inauguration. Haley’s experience at the U.N. was ripe with successes, as she excelled in diplomacy and exceeded all expectations. 
When Trump nominated the former South Carolinian governor, I will admit, I was hesitant to support the nomination of someone with such a lack of international experience. However, Haley wasted no time in quelling any reservations I held.
In June 2017, Haley achieved unanimous passage for Security Council Resolution #2356, which sanctioned North Korea and entities and individuals involved with supporting North Korea’s nuclear program. Rick Gladstone of the New York Times referred to Resolution #2371 as “the most punishing sanctions yet against North Korea,” and also passed unanimously.
When Resolution #2356 failed to stop North Korea, Resolution #2371 banned North Korea’s top exports, blowing $1 billion per year away from their economy. Resolution #2375, which yet again passed unanimously, quickly followed and imposed strict oil sanctions on North Korea. Astonishingly, Haley managed to wrangle China and Russia’s support for all of these resolutions.
Both China and Russia were previously opposed to such harsh sanctions, but Haley’s leadership convinced them to overcome their own interests and act for the global good. Haley’s work resulted in a year-long absence of missiles launched by North Korea, and ultimately led to the negotiations between North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un and Trump earlier this year.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon thanked Haley for bringing “moral clarity, and in doing so, changed the culture and agenda of the U.N.”
Haley was a profound defender of Israel in the Security Council, where it regularly receives incomparable criticisms and scrutiny. Haley rightfully referred to the Human Rights Council as the U.N.’s “biggest failure” for its history of criticizing democracies like Israel, while nations like China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Egypt sit on the Council.
She did not stand for the injustice this council regularly perpetrates by protecting the reputation of its member states and staying silent on the world’s most inhumane regimes such as Iran, Syria and North Korea. We should be grateful for her staying true to American ideals by doing so.
Despite serving at the pleasure of the president, Haley has not been shy to voice her opposition to him when she feels as if he is in the wrong. For example, as Today’s Eun Kyung Kim reports, Haley was a vocal critic of Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S. She deservedly referred to the ban as “un-American.”
She has also used her own ideology on Russia rather than Trump’s when working with the country on the Security Council. She recognizes the threat Russian aggression poses to the U.S., and she is not afraid to confront them on it, especially when Russia supported Iran’s opposition to International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. All the while, Haley managed to eschew offending the Trump Administration, a feat very few can claim successfully.
Haley served her country diligently. She provided to the American people a just voice on the international spectrum, and returned sanity to an organization which lost sight of its purpose.
Most notably through reigning in North Korea, defending Israel against bias and keeping Russia accountable, Haley succeeded in her role as Ambassador to the U.N., and will be remembered for her valiancy. I hope all Americans will join me in saying, “Thank you, Ambassador Haley.”