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President Speaks to the
United Nations General Assembly.
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
11:00 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, distinguished
delegates, ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for the honor of addressing
this General Assembly. The American people respect the idealism that
gave life to this organization. And we respect the men and women of the
U.N., who stand for peace and human rights in every part of the world.
Welcome to New York City, and welcome to the United States of America.
During the past three years, I've addressed this General Assembly in a
time of tragedy for my country, and in times of decision for all of us.
Now we gather at a time of tremendous opportunity for the U.N. and for
all peaceful nations. For decades, the circle of liberty and security
and development has been expanding in our world. This progress has
brought unity to Europe, self-government to Latin America and Asia, and
new hope to Africa. Now we have the historic chance to widen the circle
even further, to fight radicalism and terror with justice and dignity,
to achieve a true peace, founded on human freedom.
The United Nations and my country share the deepest commitments. Both
the American Declaration of Independence and the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights proclaim the equal value and dignity of every human
life. That dignity is honored by the rule of law, limits on the power of
the state, respect for women, protection of private property, free
speech, equal justice, and religious tolerance. That dignity is
dishonored by oppression, corruption, tyranny, bigotry, terrorism and
all violence against the innocent. And both of our founding documents
affirm that this bright line between justice and injustice -- between
right and wrong -- is the same in every age, and every culture, and
every nation.
Wise governments also stand for these principles for very practical and
realistic reasons. We know that dictators are quick to choose
aggression, while free nations strive to resolve differences in peace.
We know that oppressive governments support terror, while free
governments fight the terrorists in their midst. We know that free
peoples embrace progress and life, instead of becoming the recruits for
murderous ideologies.
Every nation that wants peace will share the benefits of a freer world.
And every nation that seeks peace has an obligation to help build that
world. Eventually, there is no safe isolation from terror networks, or
failed states that shelter them, or outlaw regimes, or weapons of mass
destruction. Eventually, there is no safety in looking away, seeking the
quiet life by ignoring the struggles and oppression of others.
In this young century, our world needs a new definition of security. Our
security is not merely found in spheres of influence, or some balance of
power. The security of our world is found in the advancing rights of
mankind.
These rights are advancing across the world -- and across the world, the
enemies of human rights are responding with violence. Terrorists and
their allies believe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
American Bill of Rights, and every charter of liberty ever written, are
lies, to be burned and destroyed and forgotten. They believe that
dictators should control every mind and tongue in the Middle East and
beyond. They believe that suicide and torture and murder are fully
justified to serve any goal they declare. And they act on their beliefs.
In the last year alone, terrorists have attacked police stations, and
banks, and commuter trains, and synagogues -- and a school filled with
children. This month in Beslan we saw, once again, how the terrorists
measure their success -- in the death of the innocent, and in the pain
of grieving families. Svetlana Dzebisov was held hostage, along with her
son and her nephew -- her nephew did not survive. She recently visited
the cemetery, and saw what she called the "little graves." She said, "I
understand that there is evil in the world. But what have these little
creatures done?"
Members of the United Nations, the Russian children did nothing to
deserve such awful suffering, and fright, and death. The people of
Madrid and Jerusalem and Istanbul and Baghdad have done nothing to
deserve sudden and random murder. These acts violate the standards of
justice in all cultures, and the principles of all religions. All
civilized nations are in this struggle together, and all must fight the
murderers.
We're determined to destroy terror networks wherever they operate, and
the United States is grateful to every nation that is helping to seize
terrorist assets, track down their operatives, and disrupt their plans.
We're determined to end the state sponsorship of terror -- and my nation
is grateful to all that participated in the liberation of Afghanistan.
We're determined to prevent proliferation, and to enforce the demands of
the world -- and my nation is grateful to the soldiers of many nations
who have helped to deliver the Iraqi people from an outlaw dictator.
The dictator agreed in 1991, as a condition of a cease-fire, to fully
comply with all Security Council resolutions -- then ignored more than a
decade of those resolutions. Finally, the Security Council promised
serious consequences for his defiance. And the commitments we make must
have meaning. When we say "serious consequences," for the sake of peace,
there must be serious consequences. And so a coalition of nations
enforced the just demands of the world.
Defending our ideals is vital, but it is not enough. Our broader mission
as U.N. members is to apply these ideals to the great issues of our
time. Our wider goal is to promote hope and progress as the alternatives
to hatred and violence. Our great purpose is to build a better world
beyond the war on terror.
Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have
established a global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. In
three years the contributing countries have funded projects in more than
90 countries, and pledged a total of $5.6 billion to these efforts.
America has undertaken a $15 billion effort to provide prevention and
treatment and humane care in nations afflicted by AIDS, placing a
special focus on 15 countries where the need is most urgent. AIDS is the
greatest health crisis of our time, and our unprecedented commitment
will bring new hope to those who have walked too long in the shadow of
death.
Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have
joined together to confront the evil of trafficking in human beings.
We're supporting organizations that rescue the victims, passing stronger
anti-trafficking laws, and warning travelers that they will be held to
account for supporting this modern form of slavery. Women and children
should never be exploited for pleasure or greed, anywhere on Earth.
Because we believe in human dignity, we should take seriously the
protection of life from exploitation under any pretext. In this session,
the U.N. will consider a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica calling for
a comprehensive ban on human cloning. I support that resolution and urge
all governments to affirm a basic ethical principle: No human life
should ever be produced or destroyed for the benefit of another.
Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have
changed the way we fight poverty, curb corruption, and provide aid. In
2002 we created the Monterrey Consensus, a bold approach that links new
aid from developed nations to real reform in developing ones. And
through the Millennium Challenge Account, my nation is increasing our
aid to developing nations that expand economic freedom and invest in the
education and health of their own people.
Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have acted
to lift the crushing burden of debt that limits the growth of developing
economies, and holds millions of people in poverty. Since these efforts
began in 1996, poor countries with the heaviest debt burdens have
received more than $30 billion of relief. And to prevent the build-up of
future debt, my country and other nations have agreed that international
financial institutions should increasingly provide new aid in the form
of grants, rather than loans.
Because we believe in human dignity, the world must have more effective
means to stabilize regions in turmoil, and to halt religious violence
and ethnic cleansing. We must create permanent capabilities to respond
to future crises. The United States and Italy have proposed a Global
Peace Operations Initiative. G-8 countries will train 75,000
peacekeepers, initially from Africa, so they can conduct operations on
that continent and elsewhere. The countries of the G-8 will help this
peacekeeping force with deployment and logistical needs.
At this hour, the world is witnessing terrible suffering and horrible
crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, crimes my government has concluded
are genocide. The United States played a key role in efforts to broker a
cease-fire, and we're providing humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese
people. Rwanda and Nigeria have deployed forces in Sudan to help improve
security so aid can be delivered. The Security Council adopted a new
resolution that supports an expanded African Union force to help prevent
further bloodshed, and urges the government of Sudan to stop flights by
military aircraft in Darfur. We congratulate the members of the Council
on this timely and necessary action. I call on the government of Sudan
to honor the cease-fire it signed, and to stop the killing in Darfur.
Because we believe in human dignity, peaceful nations must stand for the
advance of democracy. No other system of government has done more to
protect minorities, to secure the rights of labor, to raise the status
of women, or to channel human energy to the pursuits of peace. We've
witnessed the rise of democratic governments in predominantly Hindu and
Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish and Christian cultures. Democratic institutions
have taken root in modern societies, and in traditional societies. When
it comes to the desire for liberty and justice, there is no clash of
civilizations. People everywhere are capable of freedom, and worthy of
freedom.
Finding the full promise of representative government takes time, as
America has found in two centuries of debate and struggle. Nor is there
any -- only one form of representative government -- because
democracies, by definition, take on the unique character of the peoples
that create them. Yet this much we know with certainty: The desire for
freedom resides in every human heart. And that desire cannot be
contained forever by prison walls, or martial laws, or secret police.
Over time, and across the Earth, freedom will find a way.
Freedom is finding a way in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and we must continue
to show our commitment to democracies in those nations. The liberty that
many have won at a cost must be secured. As members of the United
Nations, we all have a stake in the success of the world's newest
democracies.
Not long ago, outlaw regimes in Baghdad and Kabul threatened the peace
and sponsored terrorists. These regimes destabilized one of the world's
most vital -- and most volatile -- regions. They brutalized their
peoples, in defiance of all civilized norms. Today, the Iraqi and Afghan
people are on the path to democracy and freedom. The governments that
are rising will pose no threat to others. Instead of harboring
terrorists, they're fighting terrorist groups. And this progress is good
for the long-term security of us all.
The Afghan people are showing extraordinary courage under difficult
conditions. They're fighting to defend their nation from Taliban
holdouts, and helping to strike against the terrorists killers. They're
reviving their economy. They've adopted a constitution that protects the
rights of all, while honoring their nation's most cherished traditions.
More than 10 million Afghan citizens -- over 4 million of them women --
are now registered to vote in next month's presidential election. To any
who still would question whether Muslim societies can be democratic
societies, the Afghan people are giving their answer.
Since the last meeting of this General Assembly, the people of Iraq have
regained sovereignty. Today, in this hall, the Prime Minister of Iraq
and his delegation represent a country that has rejoined the community
of nations. The government of Prime Minister Allawi has earned the
support of every nation that believes in self-determination and desires
peace. And under Security Council resolutions 1511 and 1546, the world
is providing that support. The U.N., and its member nations, must
respond to Prime Minister Allawi's request, and do more to help build an
Iraq that is secure, democratic, federal, and free.
A democratic Iraq has ruthless enemies, because terrorists know the
stakes in that country. They know that a free Iraq in the heart of the
Middle East will be a decisive blow against their ambitions for that
region. So a terrorists group associated with al Qaeda is now one of the
main groups killing the innocent in Iraq today -- conducting a campaign
of bombings against civilians, and the beheadings of bound men.
Coalition forces now serving in Iraq are confronting the terrorists and
foreign fighters, so peaceful nations around the world will never have
to face them within our own borders.
Our coalition is standing beside a growing Iraqi security force. The
NATO Alliance is providing vital training to that force. More than 35
nations have contributed money and expertise to help rebuild Iraq's
infrastructure. And as the Iraqi interim government moves toward
national elections, officials from the United Nations are helping Iraqis
build the infrastructure of democracy. These selfless people are doing
heroic work, and are carrying on the great legacy of Sergio de Mello.
As we have seen in other countries, one of the main terrorist goals is
to undermine, disrupt, and influence election outcomes. We can expect
terrorist attacks to escalate as Afghanistan and Iraq approach national
elections. The work ahead is demanding. But these difficulties will not
shake our conviction that the future of Afghanistan and Iraq is a future
of liberty. The proper response to difficulty is not to retreat, it is
to prevail.
The advance of freedom always carries a cost, paid by the bravest among
us. America mourns the losses to our nation, and to many others. And
today, I assure every friend of Afghanistan and Iraq, and every enemy of
liberty: We will stand with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq until
their hopes of freedom and security are fulfilled.
These two nations will be a model for the broader Middle East, a region
where millions have been denied basic human rights and simple justice.
For too long, many nations, including my own, tolerated, even excused,
oppression in the Middle East in the name of stability. Oppression
became common, but stability never arrived. We must take a different
approach. We must help the reformers of the Middle East as they work for
freedom, and strive to build a community of peaceful, democratic
nations.
This commitment to democratic reform is essential to resolving the
Arab-Israeli conflict. Peace will not be achieved by Palestinian rulers
who intimidate opposition, tolerate corruption, and maintain ties to
terrorist groups. The longsuffering Palestinian people deserve better.
They deserve true leaders capable of creating and governing a free and
peaceful Palestinian state.
Even after the setbacks and frustrations of recent months, goodwill and
hard effort can achieve the promise of the road map to peace. Those who
would lead a new Palestinian state should adopt peaceful means to
achieve the rights of their people, and create the reformed institutions
of a stable democracy. Arab states should end incitement in their own
media, cut off public and private funding for terrorism, and establish
normal relations with Israel. Israel should impose a settlement freeze,
dismantle unauthorized outposts, end the daily humiliation of the
Palestinian people, and avoid any actions that prejudice final
negotiations. And world leaders should withdraw all favor and support
from any Palestinian ruler who fails his people and betrays their cause.
The democratic hopes we see growing in the Middle East are growing
everywhere. In the words of the Burmese democracy advocate, Aung San Suu
Kyi: "We do not accept the notion that democracy is a Western value. To
the contrary; democracy simply means good government rooted in
responsibility, transparency, and accountability." Here at the United
Nations, you know this to be true. In recent years, this organization
has helped create a new democracy in East Timor, and the U.N. has aided
other nations in making the transition to self-rule.
Because I believe the advance of liberty is the path to both a safer and
better world, today I propose establishing a Democracy Fund within the
United Nations. This is a great calling for this great organization. The
fund would help countries lay the foundations of democracy by
instituting the rule of law and independent courts, a free press,
political parties and trade unions. Money from the fund would also help
set up voter precincts and polling places, and support the work of
election monitors. To show our commitment to the new Democracy Fund, the
United States will make an initial contribution. I urge other nations to
contribute, as well.
Today, I've outlined a broad agenda to advance human dignity, and
enhance the security of all of us. The defeat of terror, the protection
of human rights, the spread of prosperity, the advance of democracy --
these causes, these ideals, call us to great work in the world. Each of
us alone can only do so much. Together, we can accomplish so much more.
History will honor the high ideals of this organization. The charter
states them with clarity: "to save succeeding generations from the
scourge of war," "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights," "to
promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom."
Let history also record that our generation of leaders followed through
on these ideals, even in adversity. Let history show that in a decisive
decade, members of the United Nations did not grow weary in our duties,
or waver in meeting them. I'm confident that this young century will be
liberty's century. I believe we will rise to this moment, because I know
the character of so many nations and leaders represented here today. And
I have faith in the transforming power of freedom.
May God bless you. (Applause.)
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