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.