[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
[November 20, 2003]
[Pages 1588-1590]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
[[Page 1588]]
Effective Multilateralism To Build a Better World: Joint Statement by
President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair
November 20, 2003
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
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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
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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.
Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
this joint statement.