Donald Trump at UN: World leaders laugh at US president as he boasts about his accomplishments during opening address

World leaders laughed at Donald Trump as he boasted about his administration being the “most accomplished” in American history.

The US president started his opening address to the United Nations general assembly by reporting to the world on his country's progress since his inauguration.

He crowed that in "less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country".

Rather than applaud or cheer, the audience in New York began to chuckle and some broke into laughter.

Mr Trump appeared briefly flustered before joking that it was not the reaction he expected but "that's all right".

After he arrived late and forced a last-minute scheduling switch, the president seized his opportunity to assert American independence from the international body.

He was unapologetic about his decisions to engage with North Korea, remove the US from the international Iran nuclear accord and object to UN programmes he believes are contrary to American interests.

"We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism," he said.

He referenced a long list of UN initiatives, from the International Criminal Court to the Human Rights Council, that his administration is working to undermine.

"As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority," he said.

The US is boycotting the Human Rights Council, arguing it overlooks abuses by some and serves as a venue for anti-American and anti-Israeli action.

His denunciation of globalism drew murmurs from a room that stands as the embodiment of the notion.

Other tense moments included his criticism of Germany's pursuit of a direct energy pipeline from Russia, which drew a dismissive headshake from a member of the US ally's delegation.

His mention of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all in one breath, was received by stone-faced Saudi officials. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been boycotting Doha since last year as part of a political dispute tearing apart the Gulf Arab nations.