    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 39 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
    [Pages 1245-1249]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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

    September 25, 2007

        Mr. Secretary-General, Mr. President, distinguished delegates,
    ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for the opportunity to address the
    General Assembly of the United Nations.
        Sixty years ago, representatives from 16 nations gathered to begin
    deliberations on a new international bill of rights. The document they
    produced is called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and it
    stands as a landmark achievement in the history of human liberty. The
    declaration opens by recognizing ``the inherent dignity'' and the
    ``equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family'' as
    ``the foundation of freedom and justice and peace in the world.'' And as
    we gather for this 62d General Assembly, the standards of the
    declaration must guide our work in this world.
        Achieving the promise of the declaration requires confronting long-
    term threats. It also requires answering the immediate needs of today.
    The nations in this chamber have our differences, yet there are some
    areas where we can all agree. When innocent people are trapped in a life
    of murder and fear, the declaration is not being upheld. When millions
    of children starve to death or perish from a mosquito bite, we're not
    doing our duty in the world. When whole societies are cut off from the
    prosperity of the global economy, we're all worse off. Changing these
    underlying conditions is what the declaration calls the work of ``larger
    freedom,'' and it must be the work of every nation in this Assembly.
        This great institution must work for great purposes: to free people
    from tyranny and violence, hunger and disease, illiteracy and ignorance,
    and poverty and despair. Every member of the United Nations must join in
    this mission of liberation.
        First, the mission of the United Nations requires liberating people
    from tyranny and violence. The first article of the Universal
    Declaration begins, ``All human beings are born free and equal in
    dignity and rights.'' The truth is denied by terrorists and extremists
    who kill the innocent with the aim of imposing their hateful vision on
    humanity.

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    The followers of this violent ideology are a threat to civilized people
    everywhere. All civilized nations must work together to stop them by
    sharing intelligence about their networks and choking their--off their
    finances and bringing to justice their operatives.
        In the long run, the best way to defeat extremists is to defeat
    their dark ideology with a more hopeful vision, the vision of liberty
    that founded this body. The United States salutes the nations that have
    recently taken strides toward liberty, including Ukraine and Georgia and
    Kyrgyzstan and Mauritania and Liberia, Sierra Leone and Morocco. The
    Palestinian Territories have moderate leaders, mainstream leaders that
    are working to build free institutions that fight terror and enforce the
    law and respond to the needs of their people. The international
    community must support these leaders, so that we can advance the vision
    of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in
    peace and security.
        Brave citizens in Lebanon and Afghanistan and Iraq have made the
    choice for democracy, yet the extremists have responded by targeting
    them for murder. This is not a show of strength; it is evidence of fear.
    And the extremists are doing everything in their power to bring down
    these young democracies. The people of Lebanon and Afghanistan and Iraq
    have asked for our help, and every civilized nation has a responsibility
    to stand with them.
        Every civilized nation also has a responsibility to stand up for the
    people suffering under dictatorship. In Belarus, North Korea, Syria, and
    Iran, brutal regimes deny their people the fundamental rights enshrined
    in the Universal Declaration. Americans are outraged by the situation in
    Burma, where a military junta has imposed a 19-year reign of fear. Basic
    freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship are severely restricted.
    Ethnic minorities are persecuted. Forced child labor, human trafficking,
    and rape are common. The regime is holding more than 1,000 political
    prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party was elected
    overwhelmingly by the Burmese people in 1990.
        The ruling junta remains unyielding, yet the people's desire for
    freedom is unmistakable. This morning I'm announcing a series of steps
    to help bring peaceful change to Burma. The United States will tighten
    economic sanctions on the leaders of the regime and their financial
    backers. We will impose an expanded visa ban on those responsible for
    the most egregious violations of human rights, as well as their family
    members. We'll continue to support the efforts of humanitarian groups
    working to alleviate suffering in Burma. And I urge the United Nations
    and all nations to use their diplomatic and economic leverage to help
    the Burmese people reclaim their freedom.
        In Cuba, the long rule of a cruel dictator is nearing its end. The
    Cuban people are ready for their freedom. And as that nation enters a
    period of transition, the United Nations must insist on free speech,
    free assembly, and ultimately, free and competitive elections.
        In Zimbabwe, ordinary citizens suffer under a tyrannical regime. The
    Government has cracked down on peaceful calls for reform and forced
    millions to flee their homeland. The behavior of the Mugabe regime is an
    assault on its people and an affront to the principles of the Universal
    Declaration. The United Nations must insist on change in Harare and must
    insist for the freedom of the people of Zimbabwe.
        In Sudan, innocent civilians are suffering repression. And in the
    Darfur region, many are losing their lives to genocide. America has
    responded with tough sanctions against those responsible for the
    violence. We've provided more than $2 billion in humanitarian and
    peacekeeping aid. I look forward to attending a Security Council meeting
    that will focus on Darfur, chaired by the French President. I appreciate
    France's leadership in helping to stabilize Sudan's neighbors. And the
    United Nations must answer this challenge to conscience and live up to
    its promise to promptly deploy peacekeeping forces to Darfur.
        Second, the mission of the United Nations requires liberating people
    from hunger and disease. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration states:
    ``Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health
    and well-being of himself and of his family, including food and clothing
    and housing and medical care.'' Around the world, the United

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    Nations is carrying out noble efforts to live up to these words.
        Feeding the hungry has long been a special calling for my Nation.
    Today, more than half the world's food assistance comes from America. We
    send emergency food stocks to starving people from camps in Sudan to
    slums in--around the world. I've proposed an innovative initiative to
    alleviate hunger under which America would purchase the crops of local
    farmers in Africa and elsewhere, rather than shipping in food from the
    developed world. This would help build up local agriculture and break
    the cycle of famine in the developing world. And I urge our United
    States Congress to support this initiative.
        Many in this hall are bringing the spirit of generosity to fighting
    HIV/AIDS and malaria. Five years ago in sub-Sahara Africa, an AIDS
    diagnosis was widely considered a death sentence, and fewer than 50,000
    people infected with the virus were receiving treatment. The world
    responded by creating the Global Fund, which is working with governments
    and the private sector to fight the disease around the world. The United
    States decided to take these steps a little further by launching the $15
    billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Since 2003, this effort has
    helped bring cutting-edge medicines to more than a million people in
    sub-Sahara Africa. It's a good start. So earlier this year, I proposed
    to double our initial commitment to $30 billion. By coming together, the
    world can turn the tide against HIV/AIDS once and for all.
        Malaria is another common killer. In some countries, malaria takes
    as many lives as HIV/AIDS--the vast majority of them children under the
    age of 5 years old. Every one of these deaths is unnecessary because the
    disease is preventable and treatable. The world knows what it takes to
    stop malaria: bed nets and indoor spraying and medicine to treat the
    disease. Two years ago, America launched a $1.2 billion malaria
    initiative. Other nations and the private sector are making vital
    contributions as well. I call on every member state to maintain its
    focus, find new ways to join this cause, and bring us closer to the day
    when malaria deaths are no more.
        Third, the mission of the United Nations requires liberating people
    from the chains of illiteracy and ignorance. Article 26 of the Universal
    Declaration states: ``Everyone has the right to education.'' And when
    nations make the investments needed to educate their people, the whole
    world benefits. Better education unleashes the talent and potential of
    its citizens and adds to the prosperity of all of us. Better education
    promotes better health and greater independence. Better education
    increases the strength of democracy and weakens the appeal of violent
    ideologies. So the United States is joining with nations around the
    world to help them provide a better education for their people.
        A good education starts with good teachers. In partnership with
    other nations, America has helped train more than 600,000 teachers and
    administrators. A good education requires good textbooks. So in
    partnership with other nations, America has distributed tens of millions
    of textbooks. A good education requires access to good schools. So in
    partnership with other nations, America is helping nations raise
    standards in their schools at home and providing scholarships to help
    students come to schools in the United States. In all our education
    efforts, our Nation is working to expand access for women and girls, so
    that the opportunity to get a decent education is open to all.
        Finally, the mission of the United Nations requires liberating
    people from poverty and despair. Article 23 of the Universal Declaration
    states: ``Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment,
    and to just and favorable conditions of work.'' In the 21st century,
    this requires ensuring that people in poor countries have the same
    opportunity to benefit from the global economy that citizens of wealthy
    countries have.
        The United Nations provides vital economic assistance designed to
    help developing nations grow their economies and reach their potential.
    The United States agrees with that position. We've dramatically
    increased our own development assistance, and we're delivering that aid
    in innovative ways. We started the Millennium Challenge Account to
    reward nations that govern justly, fight corruption, invest in their
    people, and promote economic freedom. With this aid, we're reaching

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    out to developing nations in partnership, not paternalism. And we're
    ensuring that our aid dollars reach those who need them and achieve
    results.
        In the long run, the best way to lift people out of poverty is
    through trade and investment. A nation that is open and trading with the
    world will create economic rewards that far exceed anything they could
    get through foreign aid. During the 1990s, developing nations that
    significantly lowered tariffs saw their per capita income grow about
    three times faster than other developing countries. Open markets ignite
    growth, encourage investment, increase transparency, strengthen the rule
    of law, and help countries help themselves.
        The international community now has an historic chance to open
    markets around the world by concluding a successful Doha round of trade
    talks. A successful Doha outcome would mean real and substantial
    openings in agriculture, goods, and services and real and substantial
    reductions in trade-distorting subsidies. The world's largest trading
    nations, including major developing countries, have a special
    responsibility to make the tough political decisions to reduce trade
    barriers. America has the will and flexibility to make those necessary
    decisions. Our negotiators are demonstrating that spirit in Geneva. I
    urge other leaders to direct their negotiators to do the same. And I'm
    optimistic that we can reach a good Doha agreement and seize this once-
    in-a-generation opportunity.
        In the meantime, America will continue to pursue agreements that
    open trade and investment wherever we can. We recently signed free trade
    agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama, and South Korea. These
    agreements embody the values of open markets: transparent and fair
    regulation, respect for private property, and resolving disputes under
    international law rules. These are good agreements, and they're now
    ready for a congressional vote, and I urge the Congress to approve them
    as soon as possible.
        As America works with United Nations to alleviate immediate needs,
    we're also coming together to address longer-term challenges. Together,
    we're preparing for pandemics that could cause death and suffering on a
    global scale. Together, we're working to stop the proliferation of
    weapons of mass destruction. Together, we're confronting the challenges
    of energy security and environmental quality and climate change. I
    appreciate the discussions on climate change led by the Secretary-
    General last night. I look forward to further discussions at the meeting
    of major economies in Washington later this week.
        The goals I've outlined today cannot be achieved overnight, and they
    cannot be achieved without reform in this vital institution. The United
    States is committed to a strong and vibrant United Nations, yet the
    American people are disappointed by the failures of the Human Rights
    Council. This body has been silent on repression by regimes from Havana
    to Caracas to Pyongyang and Tehran, while focusing its criticism
    excessively on Israel. To be credible on human rights in the world, the
    United Nations must reform its own Human Rights Council.
        Some have also called for reform to the structure of the Security
    Council, including an expansion of its membership. The United States is
    open to this prospect. We believe that Japan is well-qualified for
    permanent membership on the Security Council and that other nations
    should be considered as well. The United States will listen to all good
    ideas, and we will support changes to the Security Council as part of
    broader U.N. reform. And in all we do, I call on member states to work
    for an institution that adheres to strict ethical standards and lives up
    to the high principles of the Universal Declaration.
        With the commitment and courage of this chamber, we can build a
    world where people are free to speak, assemble, and worship as they
    wish; a world where children in every nation grow up healthy, get a
    decent education, and look to the future with hope; a world where
    opportunity crosses every border. America will lead toward this vision
    where all are created equal and free to pursue their dreams. This is the
    founding conviction of my country. It is the promise that established
    this body. And with our determination, it can be the future of our
    world.
        Thank you, and God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:57 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall. In
    his remarks, he referred to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the

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    United Nations; Srgjan Kerim, President, 62d Session of the U.N. General
    Assembly; President Fidel Castro of Cuba; President Robert Mugabe of
    Zimbabwe; and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these
    remarks.