| |||||||||||||||
| Vision StatementU.S. Multilateral Diplomacy and the UN: Our Principles and Priorities The United States, like all other nations, participates in multilateral organizations to advance its national security and foreign policy interests and to promote its values. We believe, for example, that all people need peace, security, freedom, human rights, democracy, and growing economies if they are to prosper.
Yet too many people today live under corrupt regimes that deny them their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Many suffer from infectious diseases or are targets of terrorism. With the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorists could more easily obtain chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons to wreak destruction of unimaginable scale on innocent people, anywhere.
America is determined to meet the major challenges of this century while helping people around the world realize the abundant potential that freedom and democracy offer. As President Bush has said, “This is America's agenda in the world--from the defeat of terror, to the alleviation of disease and hunger, to the spread of human liberty. We welcome, and we need, the help, advice, and wisdom of friends and allies.”
Multilateral diplomacy is a very important tool in this effort. The United Nations and other venues like the Organization of American States or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum offer opportunities for us to promote international peace and security while we are advancing political and economic freedoms. They also enable us to leverage our political, financial, and military resources to better deal with international threats or crises as they arise.
To be effective, multilateral efforts must have a clear purpose. Consensus should not be an end in itself. Though the Security Council's mission is to promote international peace and resolve conflicts, its members do not share our views on every issue. Yet, when a serious threat to peace arises and the purpose for action is clear, we can seek a common decision in order to take action, such as when the Council rallied behind the United States after September 11.
More recently, though Council members were divided on the necessity of using force to disarm Iraq, they came together to approve two compelling resolutions: Resolution 1441 demanded that Iraq end its material breach of its Gulf War cease-fire obligations under previous resolutions or face serious consequences. Resolution 1483 lifted the decade-old UN sanctions on Iraq; recognized Coalition authority in Iraq until a representative, internationally recognized government is established; and affirmed the UN's vital role in working intensively with the Coalition to help the Iraqi people build a better future.
The United States, in addition to seeking effective Security Council action when it is needed, supports the work of many UN specialized and technical agencies. Examples include establishing international postal standards and maritime safety requirements, and creating systems that enable early warning of natural disasters.
The UN has success stories, but it also has had failures and wasted valuable resources. In keeping with President Bush's September 2002 call to the UN to live up to its ideals and core purposes, we are encouraging the UN and its specialized agencies to operate more efficiently. Doing so will better enable them to contribute more effectively to international peace and stability and stand ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Principle #1: We want the United Nations to live up to the vision of its founders. America's leadership can mobilize like-minded nations and multilateral institutions to stand up for common principles. We have seen this outcome, for example, in the war against terrorism, efforts to protect refugees and provide humanitarian aid, and the consensus that world leaders reached in Monterrey, Mexico, on the most effective ways to finance development.
Americans want us to make sure the UN and its many agencies hold fast to founding principles. This is true whether the objective is to disarm Iraq, promote peace in the region, or ensure that the elected members of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) respect, protect, and promote human rights. The credibility of the CHR rightfully came under attack after Libya was elected chair in 2003. We had opposed that nomination; we are now working within the Commission to make sure its actions reflect its mandate and uphold the principles elaborated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international agreements. A revitalized CHR will find that it has the support of Americans and others around the world.
Principle #2: We seek multilateralism that is effective. Americans want us to make sure the UN is doing a good job of preserving international peace; advancing freedom, human rights, democratic institutions, good governance, and sustainable development; and improving health, nutrition, and education for those in desperate need. When it does a good job, we will continue to be supportive. When it falls short, we will say so. The U.S. government will continue to defend our country and promote its values independently as need be, of course; but we will not hesitate to work with the Security Council when collective action is useful or justified to meet threats to international peace and security and the promotion of democracy.
One way to make the UN more effective is for countries that share its founding principles to become increasingly engaged in its work. We will encourage these countries to play stronger roles in the CHR to ensure that its members are firmly and actively committed to human rights. We are also encouraging the hiring of more American citizens at every level of the United Nations. By vigorously engaging more Americans in the work of the UN, we can be more confident that our values and interests are represented fairly and the work is results oriented and rooted in founding purposes--particularly when it comes to peace and security.
Principle #3: We want good stewardship of UN resources. As we strive to make the work of the UN more effective, we must not neglect scrutiny of its management and finances. We must meet our pledge to American taxpayers to ensure their dollars are spent wisely. We will continue to promote meaningful reforms that will make the UN more efficient and effective in the future.
Priority #1. Preserving Peace and Protecting the Innocent. Americans want the United Nations to be most effective in this regard. In fact, all of our efforts to secure Security Council support in the fight against terrorism and ending the threat posed by Iraq--which includes our work on the Counter-Terrorism Committee and on Resolutions 1441 and 1483--demonstrate America's desire to preserve peace and protect innocent people, whom terrorists would kill regardless of race, creed, or nationality.
Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists are a mortal danger to peace, security, and order in the world. If terrorism is to be prevented, rogue regimes disarmed, and threats to international peace diminished, then the United States must continue to take an active leadership role. We will strive to:
Priority #2. Putting Multilateralism at the Service of Democracy, Freedom, and Good Governance. Democracy and good governance should be at the center of the UN's activities. We support the UN's work in supervising elections in newly democratic nations, which helps to foster democracy, and we believe the UN can do more in this area. We emphasized at the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey and at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg that lack of good governance is a leading cause of instability, while lack of freedom and democracy can spawn repression, poverty, and violence. The more nations institutionalize the rule of law at home, the more they will respect it internationally. Therefore, to promote stability, security, and sustainable development, we will strive to make the goal of advancing democracy, freedom, and good governance a higher priority throughout the UN system. Priority #3. Helping Those in Desperate Need. The United Nations does a good job providing humanitarian and emergency relief for people in severe distress. We generously support its programs to reduce poverty and famine, help refugees, and fight HIV/AIDS and other ravaging infectious diseases. As world leaders agreed in Johannesburg, sustainable development can best be achieved only in the absence of a high prevalence of debilitating diseases. The United States will continue to be a global leader in public and private humanitarian assistance. We are a leader in the UN's humanitarian and food aid efforts in Southern Africa and elsewhere, for example, and the largest supporter of the UN's refugee and relief efforts. We are the largest donor to the World Food Program, contributing $929 million in 2002 alone. At the forefront of humanitarian responses in Afghanistan, North Korea, and Southern Africa, and elsewhere, the WFP can operate in areas where bilateral aid would be difficult to administer. Priority #4. Advancing Results-Oriented Development. At the Monterrey conference on financing for development in March 2002 and then at the WSSD in September 2002, world leaders reached a new international consensus on the primary factors that foster development. Governments must learn to work with the powerful engines of market forces and economic freedom, not against them. And economic assistance must be linked with results if it is to be effective. Development aid can improve lives when it is invested in countries that govern wisely, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom. The Monterrey consensus, shaped with U.S. leadership, influenced good outcomes at the WSSD and again at the most recent global climate change conference in New Delhi. At the New Delhi ministerial, G-77 countries joined with the United States to advance the principle that a clean environment requires a sound market economy. Although much has been achieved, more can be done. To truly foster development, the UN and other multilateral organizations must give less emphasis to talk and greater emphasis to concrete action by public and private actors. We will strive to ensure that the Monterrey principles are reflected in the work of other UN agencies, such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). We also will spare no effort in explaining the positive role that biotechnology can play in economic development and food security. Priority #5. Urging UN Reform and Budget Discipline. Implementing UN reform and budget discipline would not only make the UN more efficient and effective, but also help to raise its credibility in the eyes of Americans and the world. The President's decision to rejoin UNESCO recognizes that it has reformed in the areas we sought. As we rejoin, we will continue to press for reform even as we seek to promote international cooperation in education, science, culture, and press freedom. We will strive to reform the Commission on Human Rights as well, by working from within. And we will encourage and help the UN and all its specialized agencies institute budget discipline; terminate activities that no longer are effective or necessary; reform poorly performing agencies, projects, departments, and programs; hire qualified Americans; and ensure that only countries that uphold the UN's ideals will fill leadership positions on its commissions. Conclusion Multilateralism at the service of freedom, democracy, human rights, peace, and sustainable development is an important U.S. foreign policy tool. The United States is proud of its record in helping to found organizations like the United Nations that play important roles in global affairs. We are also proud that the United States is the largest financial contributor to the United Nations--a fact not often known or properly appreciated. We will continue to work with the UN, and other international organizations, to make the world more secure, democratic, and prosperous. The priorities we discuss here are significant by themselves and because they are mutually reinforcing. If democracy is to take root and human dignity prevail, we must preserve peace and eliminate the threat of terrorism. Once democracy and the rule of law take root, they can reinforce the peace and accelerate development. Democratic institutions and development thrive when hunger and infectious diseases are brought under control. We will continue to work to spread freedom and to reduce conflict around the world--goals spelled out in our National Security Strategy. Key to our efforts, whether we are fighting terrorism or the proliferation of WMD, defusing regional conflicts, renovating security institutions, encouraging open societies, or promoting human dignity, is effective multilateral diplomacy based on principled, consistent leadership and core values. | ||||||||||||||
| |
| |
This site is managed by the Bureau of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein. Copyright Information | Disclaimers | |