United Nations: on Foreign Policy
Barack Obama:
Support the new Libya who threw off a 42-year dictator
One year ago, the people of Libya were ruled by the world's longest-serving dictator. When the Libyan people were threatened by the kind of mass atrocity that often went unchallenged in the last century, the United Nations lived up to its charter.
The Security Council authorized all necessary measures to prevent a massacre.42 years of tyranny was ended in six months. From Tripoli to Benghazi--today, Libya is free. Yesterday, the leaders of a new Libya took their rightful place beside us [in the
UN General Assembly], and this week, the US is reopening our embassy in Tripoli.
This is how the international community is supposed to work--nations standing together for the sake of peace and security, and individuals claiming their rights.
Now, all of us have a responsibility to support the new Libyan government as they confront the challenge of turning this moment of promise into a just and lasting peace for all Libyans.
Source: Speech to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 21, 2011
Barack Obama:
2011: tough on Bahrain oppression; 2013: sectarian tensions
In Obama's September 2011 speech to the U.N. General Assembly, the president said that the United States "will continue to call on the government and the main opposition bloc, the Wifaq, to pursue a meaningful dialogue that brings peaceful change that
is responsive to the people." He also said that reforms had been made, but that "more is required" three words that amounted to a clear message that the monarchy was falling short. The White House was not about to let the king off the hook and the
Source: ForeignPolicyJournal.com on 2011 United Nations speech
Jul 11, 2019
Barack Obama:
Nations must work together or suffer the consequences
I stand before you today believing in my core that we cannot return to the old ways of conflict and coercion. We live in an integrated world. No nation in this Assembly can insulate itself from the threat of terrorism, or the risk of financial
contagion; the flow of migrants, or the danger of a warming planet. The disorder we see is not driven solely by competition between nations or any single ideology. If we cannot work together more effectively, we will all suffer the consequences.
Source: Remarks by Pres.Obama to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 28, 2015
Barack Obama:
Cuba policy failed; better to engage through diplomacy
We have to be strong enough to acknowledge when what you're doing is not working. For 50 years, the United States pursued a Cuba policy that failed to improve the lives of the Cuban people. We changed that. We continue to have differences with the
Cuban government. But we address these issues through diplomatic relations and increased commerce. As these contacts yield progress, I'm confident that our Congress will inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place anymore.
Source: Remarks by Pres.Obama to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 28, 2015
Barack Obama:
Nations must work together or suffer the consequences
I stand before you today believing in my core that we cannot return to the old ways of conflict and coercion. We live in an integrated world. No nation in this Assembly can insulate itself from the threat of terrorism, or the risk of financial
contagion; the flow of migrants, or the danger of a warming planet. The disorder we see is not driven solely by competition between nations or any single ideology. If we cannot work together more effectively, we will all suffer the consequences.
Source: Remarks by Pres.Obama to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 28, 2015
Barack Obama:
Cuba policy failed; better to engage through diplomacy
We have to be strong enough to acknowledge when what you're doing is not working. For 50 years, the United States pursued a Cuba policy that failed to improve the lives of the Cuban people. We changed that. We continue to have differences with the
Cuban government. But we address these issues through diplomatic relations and increased commerce. As these contacts yield progress, I'm confident that our Congress will inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place anymore.
Source: Remarks by Pres.Obama to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 28, 2015
Carly Fiorina:
No deal with Russia nor Iran on nuclear cooperation
[Under the new UN sanctions], Iran will be allowed to continue arming itself--these sanctions include a loophole that will let Russia move forward with plans to sell Iran one of the world's most sophisticated air defense systems, the S-300.
Russia will also be allowed to continue building and delivering fuel to an Iranian nuclear reactor, even as the Obama administration moves toward a deal with Russia on nuclear cooperation that is now pending in Congress.
And these sanctions do not target Iran's imports of refined petroleum products or its access to international banking systems and capital markets, and it does not include a ban on dealings with
Iran's national air and shipping lines--the real pressure points on the Iranian regime.Barbara Boxer and this Congress have so far refused to stand up to this administration and get serious about the threat from Iran."
Source: Press release on United Nations Iran Sanctions vote
Jun 9, 2010
Colin Powell:
UN faces irrelevance if it does not respond to Iraq
1441 states that a failure by Iraq at any time to cooperate in the implementation of this resolution shall constitute material breach of its obligation. We wrote it this way to give Iraq a test. I believe that Iraq is now in further material breach.
I believe this conclusion is irrefutable. Iraq has now placed itself in danger of the serious consequences called for in 1441. This body places itself in danger of irrelevance if it allows Iraq to continue without responding effectively & immediately.
Source: Speech to the United Nations Security Council
Feb 5, 2003
George Bush Sr.:
New World Order: open borders; open trade; open minds
Much has changed over the last 2 years. The Soviet Union has taken many dramatic and important steps to participate fully in the community of nations. We are hopeful that the machinery of the UN will no longer be frozen by the divisions that plagued us
during the cold war, that at last--long last--we can build new bridges and tear down old walls, that at long last we will be able to build a new world based on an event for which we have all hoped: an end to the cold war.The United Nations can help
Source: Address to the United Nations General Assembly (APP)
Oct 1, 1990
George Bush Sr.:
New World Order: open borders; open trade; open minds
Much has changed over the last 2 years. The Soviet Union has taken many dramatic and important steps to participate fully in the community of nations. We are hopeful that the machinery of the UN will no longer be frozen by the divisions that plagued us
during the cold war, that at last--long last--we can build new bridges and tear down old walls, that at long last we will be able to build a new world based on an event for which we have all hoped: an end to the cold war.The United Nations can help
bring about a new day. It is in our hands to press forward to cap a historic movement towards a new world order and a long era of peace.
I see a world of open borders, open trade and, most importantly, open minds; a world that celebrates the common
heritage that belongs to all the world's people, taking pride not just in hometown or homeland but in humanity itself. And I see a world where democracy continues to win new friends and convert old foes.
Source: Address to the United Nations General Assembly (APP)
Oct 1, 1990
George W. Bush:
United States returning to UNESCO
The United Nations was born in the hope that survived a world war-the hope of a world moving toward justice, escaping old patterns of conflict and fear. Our commitment to human dignity is challenged by persistent poverty and raging disease.
The suffering is great, and our responsibilities are clear. The US is joining with the world to supply aid where it reaches people and lifts up lives, to extend trade and the prosperity it brings, and to bring medical care where it is desperately needed.
As a symbol of our commitment to human dignity, the US will return to UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization].
This organization has been reformed and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights and tolerance and learning.
Source: Address to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 12, 2002
George W. Bush:
US establishes UN Democracy Fund
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.
Source: Address to the United Nations General Assembly
Sep 21, 2004
Jesse Helms:
UN lives off of US; we resent UN calling US a deadbeat
This is the first time that a US Senator has addressed the UN Security Council. It is important that this body have greater contact with the elected representatives of the American people, and that we have greater contact with you. We must endeavor to
understand each other better. And that is why I will share with you some of what I am hearing from the American people about the United Nations. Since I became chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I have received thousands of letters from
Americans expressing their deep frustration with this institution. They know instinctively that the UN lives and breathes on the hard-earned money of the American taxpayers. And yet they have heard comments here in New York constantly calling the US
a "deadbeat."
They see the majority of the UN members routinely voting against America in the General Assembly. The American people hear all this; they resent it, and they have grown increasingly frustrated with what they feel is a lack of gratitude.
Source: Address to the United Nations Security Council
Jan 20, 2000
Jesse Helms:
Pay UN only with condition that they REFORM
Last year, the American people contributed a total of more than $1.4 billion dollars to the UN system in assessments & voluntary contributions. The American taxpayers also spent an additional $8.7 billion from the US military budget to support various UN
resolutions and peacekeeping operations around the world. The money we spend on the UN is not charity. It is an investment from which the American people rightly expect a return. They expect a reformed UN that works more efficiently, and which
respects the sovereignty of the US. Some here may contend that the Clinton Administration should have fought to pay the arrears without conditions. I assure you, had they done so, they would have lost.
Congress has written a check to the UN for
$926 million, payable upon the implementation of previously agreed-upon common-sense reforms. Now the choice is up to the UN. I suggest that if the UN were to reject this compromise, it would mark the beginning of the end of US support for the UN.
Source: Address to the United Nations Security Council
Jan 20, 2000
Jesse Helms:
The UN serves nation-states, not the other way around
Many Americans sense that the UN has greater ambitions than simply being an efficient deliverer of humanitarian aid, a more effective peacekeeper, a better weapons inspector, and a more effective tool of great power diplomacy. They see the UN aspiring to
establish itself as the central authority of a new international order of global laws and global governance. This is an international order the American people will not countenance. The UN must respect national sovereignty. The UN serves
nation-states, not the other way around. This principle is central to the legitimacy and ultimate survival of the United Nations, and it is a principle that must be protected.
The American people do not want the UN to become an "entangling
alliance." Americans look with alarm at UN claims to a monopoly on international moral legitimacy. They see this as a threat to the God-given freedoms of the American people, a claim of political authority over Americans without their consent.
Source: Address to the United Nations Security Council
Jan 20, 2000
John Ashcroft:
UN has no say in deployment of US forces
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that the US would have to consult with the Security Council before launching military strikes against Saddam Hussein. Let me state categorically that the US does not require the permission of the United Nations to
use our military forces in the pursuit of our national interests. Nor does the UN have any authority to require that the US use our military forces if it would seek to deploy them. The US has never, at any time, ceded to the UN any power to require the
deployment of American forces against the wishes or the judgment of the US, nor have we ceded to the UN any power to forbid the use of our military force. The comments by Secretary General Annan over the weekend are indicative of a growing arrogance of
a United Nations that has grown accustomed to dictating American foreign policy toward Iraq. Statements by the UN Secretary General that imply UN oversight of US military forces are indicative of UN arrogance and disrespect for US sovereignty.
Source: Senate Statement on the United Nations and US Policy
Mar 9, 1998
Mike Bloomberg:
Maintains mayoral office for UN relations, run by his sister
The United Nations has been, and always will be important to New York City for the vital work that you do and I think important to this country and to the world. And its importance to New York is shown by the fact that the Mayor's office maintains a
"Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps, & Protocol," whose commissioner is my sister, Marjorie Tiven. Of course, being the Mayor of NYC--the world's most international city--is a bit like presiding over the UN every single day of the year
Source: Speech to the United Nations on tropical hardwoods
Feb 11, 2008
Liz Truss:
Real struggle between democracies and autocracies
For many decades the UN has helped to deliver stability and security in much of the world. But for the first time in the history of this assembly we are meeting during a large-scale war of aggression in Europe. And authoritarian states are undermining
stability and security around the world.Democracy gives people the right to choose their own path. And it evolves to reflect the aspirations of citizens. And it protects the freedoms that are at the very core of our humanity.
By contrast, autocracies sow the seeds of their own demise by suppressing their citizens. They are fundamentally rigid and unable to adapt.
We cannot simply assume there will be a democratic future. There is a real struggle going on between different
forms of society--between democracies and autocracies. Unless democratic societies deliver on the economy and security our citizens expect, we will fall behind.
Source: Speech to the United Nations General Assembly in NYC
Sep 21, 2022
Xi Jinping:
50 years of multilateralism in the United Nations
Fifty years ago today...the decision was made to recognize the representatives of the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations. The past five decades...have witnessed China's peaceful development
and its commitment and dedication to the welfare of all humanity.- For these 50 years, the Chinese people have demonstrated an untiring spirit and kept to the right direction of China's development amidst changing circumstances, thus writing an
epic chapter in the development of China and humanity.
- For these 50 years, the Chinese people have stood in solidarity and cooperation with people around the world and upheld international equity and justice, contributing significantly to world peace
and development.
- For these 50 years, the Chinese people have upheld the authority and sanctity of the United Nations and practiced multilateralism, and China's cooperation with the United Nations has deepened steadily.
Source: Speech on 50th anniversary of China in the United Nations
Oct 25, 2021
Xi Jinping:
Win-win mutual benefit over zero-sum games
[China will] choose cooperation over confrontation, openness over seclusion, and mutual benefit over zero-sum games.- We should vigorously advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom--the common values of humanity--and work
together to provide the right guiding philosophy for building a better world.
- We should jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and work together to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys
lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.
- We should stay committed to mutual benefit and win-win results, and work together to promote economic and social development for the greater benefit of our people.
- We should step up
cooperation, and work together to address the various challenges and global issues facing humanity.
- We should resolutely uphold the authority and standing of the United Nations, and work together to practice true multilateralism.
Source: Speech on 50th anniversary of China in the United Nations
Oct 25, 2021
Joe Biden:
We stand with regional bodies to support constitutional rule
The United States seeks a more secure, more prosperous, more equitable world for all people because we know our future is bound to yours. Let me repeat that again: We know our future is bound to yours. And no nation can meet the challenges of today
alone.And in this moment where democratically-elected governments have been toppled in quick succession in West and Central Africa, we're reminded that this work is as urgent and important as ever.
We stand with the African Union and ECOWAS and other regional bodies to support constitutional rule. We will not retreat from the values that make us strong.
We will defend democracy--our best tool to meet the challenges we face around the world.
Source: Speech to the United Nations (2023 presidential hopefuls)
Sep 19, 2023
Joe Biden:
U.S. and Vietnam show adversaries can become partners
For decades, it would have been unthinkable for an American president to stand in Hanoi alongside a Vietnamese leader and announce a mutual commitment to the highest level of countries partnership. But it's a powerful reminder that
our history need not dictate our future.With a concerted leadership and careful effort, adversaries can become partners, overwhelming challenges can be resolved, and deep wounds can heal.
Source: Speech to the United Nations (2023 presidential hopefuls)
Sep 19, 2023
Joe Biden:
We are for de-risking, not decoupling, with China
When it comes to China, we seek to responsibly manage the competition between our countries so it does not tip into conflict. I've said, "We are for de-risking, not decoupling with China." We will push back on aggression and intimidation and defend the
rules of the road, from freedom of navigation to a level economic playing field that have helped safeguard security and prosperity for decades. We also stand ready to work together with China on issues where progress hinges on our common efforts.
Source: Speech to the United Nations (2023 presidential hopefuls)
Sep 19, 2023
Donald Trump:
Monroe Doctrine: reject interference in our hemisphere
Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers.It has been the formal policy of our country since President Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign
nations in this hemisphere and in our own affairs. The United States has recently strengthened our laws to better screen foreign investments in our country for national security threats, and we welcome cooperation with countries in this region and
around the world that wish to do the same. You need to do it for your own protection.
The United States is also working with partners in Latin America to confront threats to sovereignty from uncontrolled migration.
We recognize the right of every nation in this room to set its own immigration policy in accordance with its national interests, just as we ask other countries to respect our own right to do the same -- which we are doing.
Source: Pres.Trump Remarks to the 73rd Session of the United Nations
Sep 25, 2018
Page last updated: Jul 16, 2024