For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 20, 2003
US/UK Joint Statement on Multilateralism
Effective Multilateralism to Build a Better World Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair
President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair reaffirm the
unique alliance of values and common purpose that binds the United
States and the United Kingdom. We confront great challenges: global
terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, poverty and
disease, and hostile dictators who oppress their own people and
threaten peace. We, and our allies among the world's democracies, have
a special responsibility to take action and mobilize international
institutions to meet these challenges and build a more secure, just,
and prosperous world.
We applaud the achievements of the Transatlantic Alliance, the
foundation of our security, under whose aegis Europe whole, free, and
at peace is becoming reality. We welcome NATO's major and growing role
in Afghanistan, and its support for the Polish-led multinational
division in Iraq. We welcome NATO's new cooperation with Russia,
Ukraine, and other members of the Partnership for Peace. We reaffirm
our support for a European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) of the
European Union that improves Europe's capabilities to act, and develops
in a way that is fully coordinated, compatible, and transparent with
NATO. We seek a dynamic, mutually-reinforcing relationship between
NATO and the EU, without duplication and divisiveness, and grounded in
the essential NATO-EU agreements which underpin it. With new members
and new capabilities, NATO will be a cornerstone of world security in
the 21st century.
We urge all nations to join together in common purpose, to put
aside temporary disagreements, and to recognize our responsibility to
work for the common good in the world. Our tasks are great, but so are
our capabilities, when we work together.
Effective multilateralism, and neither unilateralism nor
international paralysis, will guide our approach. We must:
" Launch efforts to promote freedom in the nations of the
greater Middle East. We have a vision of this region moving toward
peace through freedom. We cannot sacrifice our commitment to democracy
to purchase security, for in that case we shall have neither. We
applaud those in the region striving to advance human rights and
economic freedom, fight corruption, and advance equal justice under
law. The leaders of the Transatlantic community and the G8 must find
new ways to cooperate with the people and states of the region to
promote democratic development, economic freedom, and security, over
the years that true transformation will take. We will work in
partnership with those leaders in the region who are promoting
political and economic reform and development.
We reaffirm our commitment to the vision of peace between two
states - Israel and Palestine - living side by side in peace and
security. The Roadmap to peace remains the way to achieve this vision,
and we call on all parties to fulfill their obligations under its
terms, taking effective action to stop all terrorism, and refraining
from steps that would prevent or prejudge the terms of a final
settlement. To this end, we will remain actively involved with the
leaders of the region and work closely with the international
community.
" Continue the fight against international terrorism. What we
have begun we will finish. Terrorists must know no sanctuary, neither
in the mountains of Afghanistan or Iraq, nor hidden in the cities of
Europe or America, nor disguised as freedom fighters or charities. We
will continue to enhance our joint, bilateral work, internationally and
through strengthened domestic cooperation.
" Strengthen global efforts against proliferators of weapons of
mass destruction. We must increase international capacity and will to
deal effectively with this threat. We will intensify efforts to
counter both Iran's and also North Korea's dangerous nuclear programs;
and also strengthen the basis for multilateral counter-proliferation
and non-proliferation actions, including through the Proliferation
Security Initiative and through our upcoming G8 Presidencies.
" Promote global health. Fighting the global HIV/AIDS pandemic
requires sustained international effort, coordination, and resources.
The U.S. and UK will work together to strengthen efforts in prevention,
treatment, care, and support, beginning in five African countries. To
further this collaborative effort, we will establish a Special Joint
Task Force on HIV/AIDS. This Task Force will focus our national
efforts, and enlist the efforts of others, aimed at the struggle
against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue a comprehensive approach to expanding
the delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment, including
greater access to safe and effective medicines, better health system
delivery, and building a skilled force of health workers. We share a
commitment to rapidly increasing the availability of HIV treatment in
the most affected countries, to reducing HIV infection rates, and to
developing programs to provide care and support for those infected
with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS, including orphans and vulnerable
children. We call on others to join us to fulfill the G8 goal of
eradication of polio by 2005.
" Support development in Africa. We reaffirm our support for
Africa and for NEPAD, through the G8 Africa Action Plan. We have
agreed to work to support the development of effective African
mechanisms to prevent conflict and run peacekeeping operations;
continue to work for a return to democratically-accountable government
and the rule of law in Zimbabwe; and support the building of peace in
Liberia and Sierra Leone. We will deliver on the commitments we made
at Monterrey and in the Africa Action Plan to improve the effectiveness
of our development assistance. We welcome the launch of the Africa
Partnership Forum, expanding the international support for Africa's
development. Building Africa's foundation for success is our shared
goal, and we commit to support the Forum's efforts in the region. We
will work through bilateral and multilateral channels to improve trade
opportunities in Africa.
" Advance an open trade regime. We are committed to an open,
fair, and multilateral world trading system. Recognizing that WTO
Ministerial in Cancun was a missed opportunity, we reaffirm our
commitment to a successful conclusion of the WTO's Doha Development
Agenda. We will work with our international partners to achieve a
successful conclusion to the Round that will benefit both developed and
developing countries. We call for a resumption of the negotiations,
and encourage all parties to make serious and substantial contributions
to these important negotiations.
" Increase technological cooperation on cleaner energy. We
will bring together our scientific and technological strengths to
accelerate development of practical and efficient technologies for the
use and production of clean energy. To help improve human health by
reducing pollution, and address the challenge of climate change by
mitigating greenhouse gases, we have established a joint team to
implement the energy, science and technology commitments from Evian
through both of our G8 Presidencies.
" Deepen defense cooperation. We will work to remove barriers
to increased defense industrial cooperation, interoperability, and
information exchange. Our goals include achieving fair and consistent
reciprocal access to each other's equipment markets, maximizing
information sharing, and extending joint working and training
opportunities. We will create a closer and more open relationship by
the removal of outdated barriers between our armed forces and
officials. We consider it a high priority to implement a licensing
exemption that will facilitate defense trade between our countries. We
reaffirm our strong commitment to proceed with the Joint Strike Fighter
project.
" Promote innovative education initiatives. We are committed
to increasing the number and quality of U.S.-UK school partnerships.
To this end, we are inaugurating a new annual prize - the Transatlantic
Education Prize - to reward schools for particularly creative and
innovative partnerships. The first prizes will be awarded early next
year and will include reciprocal visits for head teachers and
principals.
# # #
|