    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 39 (Monday, September 27, 2004)]
    [Pages 2075-2080]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City

    September 21, 2004

        Mr. Secretary-General, Mr. President, distinguished delegates,
    ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for the honor of addressing this General
    Assembly. The American people respect the idealism that gave life to
    this organization. And we respect the men and women of the U.N., who
    stand for peace and human rights in every part of the world. Welcome to
    New York City, and welcome to the United States of America.
        During the past 3 years, I've addressed this General Assembly in a
    time of tragedy for my country and in times of decision for all of us.
    Now we gather at a time of tremendous opportunity for the U.N. and for
    all peaceful nations. For decades, the circle of liberty and security
    and development has been expanding in our world. This progress has
    brought unity to Europe, self-government to Latin America and Asia, and
    new hope to Africa. Now we have the historic chance to widen the circle
    even further, to fight radicalism

    [[Page 2076]]

    and terror with justice and dignity, to achieve a true peace founded on
    human freedom.
        The United Nations and my country share the deepest commitments.
    Both the American Declaration of Independence and the Universal
    Declaration of Human Rights proclaim the equal value and dignity of
    every human life. That dignity is honored by the rule of law, limits on
    the power of the state, respect for women, protection of private
    property, free speech, equal justice, and religious tolerance. That
    dignity is dishonored by oppression, corruption, tyranny, bigotry,
    terrorism, and all violence against the innocent. And both of our
    founding documents affirm that this bright line between justice and
    injustice--between right and wrong--is the same in every age and every
    culture and every nation.
        Wise governments also stand for these principles for very practical
    and realistic reasons. We know that dictators are quick to choose
    aggression, while free nations strive to resolve differences in peace.
    We know that oppressive governments support terror, while free
    governments fight the terrorists in their midst. We know that free
    peoples embrace progress and life, instead of becoming the recruits for
    murderous ideologies.
        Every nation that wants peace will share the benefits of a freer
    world, and every nation that seeks peace has an obligation to help build
    that world. Eventually, there is no safe isolation from terror networks
    or failed states that shelter them or outlaw regimes or weapons of mass
    destruction. Eventually, there is no safety in looking away, seeking the
    quiet life by ignoring the struggles and oppression of others.
        In this young century, our world needs a new definition of security.
    Our security is not merely found in spheres of influence or some balance
    of power. The security of our world is found in the advancing rights of
    mankind.
        These rights are advancing across the world, and across the world,
    the enemies of human rights are responding with violence. Terrorists and
    their allies believe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
    American Bill of Rights and every charter of liberty ever written are
    lies to be burned and destroyed and forgotten. They believe that
    dictators should control every mind and tongue in the Middle East and
    beyond. They believe that suicide and torture and murder are fully
    justified to serve any goal they declare, and they act on their beliefs.
        In the last year alone, terrorists have attacked police stations and
    banks and commuter trains and synagogues and a school filled with
    children. This month in Beslan we saw, once again, how the terrorists
    measure their success, in the death of the innocent and in the pain of
    grieving families. Svetlana Dzebisov was held hostage along with her son
    and her nephew. Her nephew did not survive. She recently visited the
    cemetery, and saw what she called the ``little graves.'' She said, ``I
    understand that there is evil in the world, but what have these little
    creatures done?''
        Members of the United Nations, the Russian children did nothing to
    deserve such awful suffering and fright and death. The people of Madrid
    and Jerusalem and Istanbul and Baghdad have done nothing to deserve
    sudden and random murder. These acts violate the standards of justice in
    all cultures and the principles of all religions. All civilized nations
    are in this struggle together, and all must fight the murderers.
        We're determined to destroy terror networks wherever they operate,
    and the United States is grateful to every nation that is helping to
    seize terrorist assets, track down their operatives, and disrupt their
    plans. We're determined to end the state sponsorship of terror, and my
    Nation is grateful to all that participated in the liberation of
    Afghanistan. We're determined to prevent proliferation and to enforce
    the demands of the world, and my Nation is grateful to the soldiers of
    many nations who have helped to deliver the Iraqi people from an outlaw
    dictator.
        The dictator agreed in 1991, as a condition of a cease-fire, to
    fully comply with all Security Council resolutions, then ignored more
    than a decade of those resolutions. Finally, the Security Council
    promised serious consequences for his defiance. And the commitments we
    make must have meaning. When we say ``serious consequences,'' for the
    sake of peace, there must be serious consequences. And so a coalition of
    nations enforced the just demands of the world.

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        Defending our ideals is vital, but it is not enough. Our broader
    mission as U.N. members is to apply these ideals to the great issues of
    our time. Our wider goal is to promote hope and progress as the
    alternatives to hatred and violence. Our great purpose is to build a
    better world beyond the war on terror.
        Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have
    established a Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. In 3
    years, the contributing countries have funded projects in more than 90
    countries and pledged a total of $5.6 billion to these efforts. America
    has undertaken a $15 billion effort to provide prevention and treatment
    and humane care in nations afflicted by AIDS, placing a special focus on
    15 countries where the need is most urgent. AIDS is the greatest health
    crisis of our time, and our unprecedented commitment will bring new hope
    to those who have walked too long in the shadow of death.
        Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have
    joined together to confront the evil of trafficking in human beings.
    We're supporting organizations that rescue the victims, passing stronger
    antitrafficking laws, and warning travelers that they will be held to
    account for supporting this modern form of slavery. Women and children
    should never be exploited for pleasure or greed anywhere on Earth.
        Because we believe in human dignity, we should take seriously the
    protection of life from exploitation under any pretext. In this session,
    the U.N. will consider a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica calling for
    a comprehensive ban on human cloning. I support that resolution and urge
    all governments to affirm a basic ethical principle: No human life
    should ever be produced or destroyed for the benefit of another.
        Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have
    changed the way we fight poverty, curb corruption, and provide aid. In
    2002, we created the Monterrey Consensus, a bold approach that links new
    aid from developed nations to real reform in developing ones. And
    through the Millennium Challenge Account, my Nation is increasing our
    aid to developing nations that expand economic freedom and invest in the
    education and health of their own people.
        Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have
    acted to lift the crushing burden of debt that limits the growth of
    developing economies and holds millions of people in poverty. Since
    these efforts began in 1996, poor countries with the heaviest debt
    burdens have received more than $30 billion of relief. And to prevent
    the buildup of future debt, my country and other nations have agreed
    that international financial institutions should increasingly provide
    new aid in the forms of grants rather than loans.
        Because we believe in human dignity, the world must have more
    effective means to stabilize regions in turmoil and to halt religious
    violence and ethnic cleansing. We must create permanent capabilities to
    respond to future crises. The United States and Italy have proposed a
    Global Peace Operations Initiative. G-8 countries will train 75,000
    peacekeepers, initially from Africa, so they can conduct operations on
    that continent and elsewhere. The countries of the G-8 will help this
    peacekeeping force with deployment and logistical needs.
        At this hour, the world is witnessing terrible suffering and
    horrible crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan, crimes my Government has
    concluded are genocide. The United States played a key role in efforts
    to broker a ceasefire, and we're providing humanitarian assistance to
    the Sudanese people. Rwanda and Nigeria have deployed forces in Sudan to
    help improve security so aid can be delivered. The Security Council
    adopted a new resolution that supports an expanded African Union force
    to help prevent further bloodshed and urges the Government of Sudan to
    stop flights by military aircraft in Darfur. We congratulate the members
    of the Council on this timely and necessary action. I call on the
    Government of Sudan to honor the cease-fire it signed and to stop the
    killing in Darfur.
        Because we believe in human dignity, peaceful nations must stand for
    the advance of democracy. No other system of government has done more to
    protect minorities, to secure the rights of labor, to raise the status
    of women, or to channel human energy

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    to the pursuits of peace. We've witnessed the rise of democratic
    governments in predominantly Hindu and Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, and
    Christian cultures. Democratic institutions have taken root in modern
    societies and in traditional societies. When it comes to the desire for
    liberty and justice, there is no clash of civilizations. People
    everywhere are capable of freedom and worthy of freedom.
        Finding the full promise of representative government takes time, as
    America has found in two centuries of debate and struggle. Nor is there
    any--only one form of representative government because democracies, by
    definition, take on the unique character of the peoples that create
    them. Yet this much we know with certainty: The desire for freedom
    resides in every human heart. And that desire cannot be contained
    forever by prison walls or martial laws or secret police. Over time and
    across the Earth, freedom will find a way.
        Freedom is finding a way in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we must
    continue to show our commitment to democracies in those nations. The
    liberty that many have won at a cost must be secured. As members of the
    United Nations, we all have a stake in the success of the world's newest
    democracies.
        Not long ago, outlaw regimes in Baghdad and Kabul threatened the
    peace and sponsored terrorists. These regimes destabilized one of the
    world's most vital and most volatile regions. They brutalized their
    peoples in defiance of all civilized norms. Today, the Iraqi and Afghan
    people are on the path to democracy and freedom. The Governments that
    are rising will pose no threat to others. Instead of harboring
    terrorists, they're fighting terrorist groups, and this progress is good
    for the long-term security of all of us.
        The Afghan people are showing extraordinary courage under difficult
    conditions. They're fighting to defend their nation from Taliban
    holdouts and helping to strike against the terrorist killers. They're
    reviving their economy. They've adopted a constitution that protects the
    rights of all while honoring their nation's most cherished traditions.
    More than 10 million Afghan citizens, over 4 million of them women, are
    now registered to vote in next month's Presidential election. To any who
    still would question whether Muslim societies can be democratic
    societies, the Afghan people are giving their answer.
        Since the last meeting of this General Assembly, the people of Iraq
    have regained sovereignty. Today, in this hall, the Prime Minister of
    Iraq and his delegation represent a country that has rejoined the
    community of nations. The Government of Prime Minister Allawi has earned
    the support of every nation that believes in self-determination and
    desires peace. And under Security Council Resolutions 1511 and 1546, the
    world is providing that support. The U.N. and its member nations must
    respond to Prime Minister Allawi's request and do more to help build an
    Iraq that is secure, democratic, federal, and free.
        A democratic Iraq has ruthless enemies, because terrorists know the
    stakes in that country. They know that a free Iraq in the heart of the
    Middle East will be a decisive blow against their ambitions for that
    region. So a terrorist group associated with Al Qaida is now one of the
    main groups killing the innocent in Iraq today, conducting a campaign of
    bombings against civilians and the beheadings of bound men. Coalition
    forces now serving in Iraq are confronting the terrorists and foreign
    fighters, so peaceful nations around the world will never have to face
    them within our own borders.
        Our coalition is standing beside a growing Iraqi security force. The
    NATO Alliance is providing vital training to that force. More than 35
    nations have contributed money and expertise to help rebuild Iraq's
    infrastructure. And as the Iraqi Interim Government moves toward
    national elections, officials from the United Nations are helping Iraqis
    build the infrastructure of democracy. These selfless people are doing
    heroic work and are carrying on the great legacy of Sergio de Mello.
        As we have seen in other countries, one of the main terrorist goals
    is to undermine, disrupt, and influence election outcomes. We can expect
    terrorist attacks to escalate as Afghanistan and Iraq approach national
    elections. The work ahead is demanding, but these difficulties will not
    shake our conviction that the future of Afghanistan and Iraq is a future
    of liberty. The proper response to difficulty is not to retreat; it is
    to prevail.

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        The advance of freedom always carries a cost, paid by the bravest
    among us. America mourns the losses to our Nation and to many others.
    And today I assure every friend of Afghanistan and Iraq and every enemy
    of liberty: We will stand with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq until
    their hopes of freedom and security are fulfilled.
        These two nations will be a model for the broader Middle East, a
    region where millions have been denied basic human rights and simple
    justice. For too long, many nations, including my own, tolerated, even
    excused, oppression in the Middle East in the name of stability.
    Oppression became common, but stability never arrived. We must take a
    different approach. We must help the reformers of the Middle East as
    they work for freedom and strive to build a community of peaceful,
    democratic nations.
        This commitment to democratic reform is essential to resolving the
    Arab-Israeli conflict. Peace will not be achieved by Palestinian rulers
    who intimidate opposition, tolerate corruption, and maintain ties to
    terrorist groups. The long-suffering Palestinian people deserve better.
    They deserve true leaders capable of creating and governing a free and
    peaceful Palestinian state.
        Even after the setbacks and frustrations of recent months, good will
    and hard effort can achieve the promise of the roadmap to peace. Those
    who would lead a new Palestinian state should adopt peaceful means to
    achieve the rights of their people and create the reformed institutions
    of a stable democracy. Arab states should end incitement in their own
    media, cut off public and private funding for terrorism, and establish
    normal relations with Israel. Israel should impose a settlement freeze,
    dismantle unauthorized outposts, end the daily humiliation of the
    Palestinian people, and avoid any actions that prejudice final
    negotiations. And world leaders should withdraw all favor and support
    from any Palestinian ruler who fails his people and betrays their cause.
        The democratic hopes we see growing in the Middle East are growing
    everywhere. In the words of the Burmese democracy advocate Aung San Suu
    Kyi, ``We do not accept the notion that democracy is a Western value. To
    the contrary, democracy simply means good government rooted in
    responsibility, transparency, and accountability.'' Here at the United
    Nations, you know this to be true. In recent years, this organization
    has helped create a new democracy in East Timor, and the U.N. has aided
    other nations in making the transition to self-rule.
        Because I believe the advance of liberty is the path to both a safer
    and better world, today I propose establishing a Democracy Fund within
    the United Nations. This is a great calling for this great organization.
    The fund would help countries lay the foundations of democracy by
    instituting the rule of law and independent courts, a free press,
    political parties, and trade unions. Money from the fund would also help
    set up voter precincts and polling places and support the work of
    election monitors. To show our commitment to the new Democracy Fund, the
    United States will make an initial contribution. I urge other nations to
    contribute as well.
        Today I've outlined a broad agenda to advance human dignity and
    enhance the security of all of us. The defeat of terror, the protection
    of human rights, the spread of prosperity, the advance of democracy,
    these causes, these ideals, call us to great work in the world. Each of
    us alone can only do so much. Together, we can accomplish so much more.
        History will honor the high ideals of this organization. The charter
    states them with clarity: ``to save succeeding generations from the
    scourge of war,'' ``to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights,''
    ``to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger
    freedom.''
        Let history also record that our generation of leaders followed
    through on these ideals, even in adversity. Let history show that in a
    decisive decade, members of the United Nations did not grow weary in our
    duties or waver in meeting them. I'm confident that this young century
    will be liberty's century. I believe we will rise to this moment,
    because I know the character of so many nations and leaders represented
    here today, and I have faith in the transforming power of freedom.
        May God bless you.

    [[Page 2080]]

    Note: The President spoke at 11 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall. In
    his remarks, he referred to Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United
    Nations; Foreign Minister Jean Ping of Gabon, President, 59th session of
    the U.N. General Assembly; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and
    Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    these remarks.