[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.