President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE on Tuesday called on the United Nations to become a "more accountable and effective" force for peace in a world where some countries are "going to hell."

"Major portions of the world are in conflict and some, in fact, are going to hell," Trump said to the General Assembly at the U.N.'s headquarters in New York. "But the powerful people in this room, under the guidance and auspices of the United Nations, can solve many of these vicious and complex problems."

"The American people hope that one day soon the United Nations can be a much more accountable and effective advocate for human dignity and freedom around the world."

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Trump also said the United States would seek to use military might to combat global instability if necessary. But he also complained that the U.S. shouldered the majority of the U.N.'s budgetary needs.

"No nation should have to share a disproportionate share of the burden, militarily or financially," he said.

But if the U.N. emerged as a more effective force for world peace, he said, the United States' investment would be "well worth it."

"If [the U.N.] could actually accomplish its stated goals — especially the goal of peace — this investment would easily be well worth it," he said.

Trump has long derided the U.N. as an ineffective and incompetent organization teetering on the verge of irrelevance.

He previously called the body "just a club for people to get together, talk" and Monday said that he believes the U.N. has not reached its potential due to "bureaucracy and mismanagement."