    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [September 12, 2002]
    [Page 1579]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Luncheon Honoring Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations in New York City
    September 12, 2002

        The President. Mr. Secretary-General, and distinguished members of
    the United Nations community, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
    welcome to New York. My country is honored to be the home of the United
    Nations. And I'm honored to be with you today for the opening week of
    the 57th Session of the U.N. General Assembly.
        We gather in a city that was changed forever by the events of one
    year and one day ago. Secretary-General, the people of the United States
    will never forget your leadership in the days following September the
    11th. Within a day, the General Assembly strongly condemned the terror,
    and very quickly the U.N. took strong action to support and strengthen a
    global coalition against global terror. The United States is grateful to
    the U.N. and to every person and every nation that has joined this
    cause.
        We gather to address the urgent challenges of a world awakened to
    danger. Mr. Secretary-General, thanks to your leadership, the U.N. is
    playing a valuable role in meeting these challenges. The U.N. Charter
    commits each nation here to promoting social progress and better
    standards of life in larger freedom. Today we rededicate ourselves to
    these ideals.
        Mr. Secretary-General, I offer a toast to you to continued
    cooperation between the United States and the United Nations.

    [At this point, the participants drank a toast.]

        The President. Thank you. Let's eat.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:39 p.m. in the U.N. Delegates Lounge at
    United Nations Headquarters.