[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 128 (Tuesday, November 14, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2029-E2030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE AMBASSADORS REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL OF AMERICAN AMBASSADORS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 14, 2006

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to insert in the Congressional Record 
the following statement by Joseph Verner Reed, Under-Secretary-General 
of the United Nations

      Remarks on United Nations Day's 61st Anniversary Celebration

                       (Tuesday October 24, 2006)

       Today October 24, 2006 the United Nations celebrates its 
     61st birthday.


                              born of war

       The United Nations was created in large part by the efforts 
     of the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 
     vision and dedication laid the framework. The President even 
     coined its name.
       Former United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull won 
     the Nobel Peace Prize, mainly for his efforts in building the 
     institution. President Harry S Truman supported President 
     Roosevelt's vision with equal devotion, and in 1945, the 
     vision became a reality.
       The United Nations has succeeded most obviously in 
     preventing the horror of a third world war, encouraging 
     multinational dialogues and the development of international 
     law, and providing a forum for governmental and non-
     governmental entities.
       It is active in peacekeeping, disarmament, economic 
     development, environmental preservation, education and 
     disease prevention. United Nations groups like UNICEF, the 
     World Bank, the World Health Organization and the 
     International Atomic Energy Agency have produced a long list 
     of achievements, along with the inevitable stumble now and 
     then.
       It is less commonly known that the United Nations also 
     handles international labor standards, international aviation 
     safety provisions, international mail flow issues and 
     international copyright laws, all of which significantly 
     benefit Americans.
       In the words of former United States Ambassador to the 
     United Nations and former Secretary of State Madeleine 
     Albright, ``If you have ever traveled on an international 
     airline or shipping line, or placed a phone call overseas, or 
     received mail from outside the country, or been thankful 
     for an accurate weather report--then you have been served 
     directly or indirectly by one part or another of the 
     United Nations system.''


                     more helpful to united states

       Many within America view the United Nations with great 
     suspicion, primarily because they see a significant threat to 
     U.S. sovereignty.
       They would do well to heed the words of former United 
     States Senator Arthur Vandenberg, a Republican who supported 
     the formation of the world body: ``Though we cooperate 
     wholeheartedly with the United Nations for peace and 
     security, we remain the captains of our own souls.''
       The veto power of the United States in the Security Council 
     alone ensures that the United Nations does not act 
     arbitrarily to harm U.S. interests. And when looked at 
     historically, the United Nations has served interests of the 
     United States far more than it has harmed them.
       Among other examples, the United Nations supported the 
     dispatch of forces to Korea in 1950 and the incursion into 
     Kuwait to expel Iraqi forces in 1991.
       After September 11, 2001, it also moved swiftly to join the 
     battle against terrorism, supporting the attack on 
     Afghanistan and passing Resolution 1373, which ``required 
     nations to interdict arms flows and financial transfers to 
     suspected terrorist groups, report on terrorists' movements 
     and update national legislation to fight them.''
       When the United Nations speaks in a clear voice, it 
     represents the greatest source of international legitimacy 
     possible.
       When the Security Council passes a Resolution it is not 
     only legally binding, but it is widely respected. To solve 
     global challenges requires a close partnership between the 
     United States and the United Nations.
       As President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, ``With all the 
     defects . . . the United Nations still represents man's best 
     organized hope to substitute the conference table for the 
     battlefield.''
       Indeed, to attack the United Nations is to criticize the 
     conference table. The United Nations is only as effective as 
     the countries around that table. If we hope to strengthen the 
     World Organization's effectiveness, the United States must 
     play a leading role in reform efforts.
       It is an honor and privilege to present the message of 
     Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan to the People of Connecticut.

[[Page E2030]]



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