Obama speech to U.N. General
Assembly
NEW YORK, NY
SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
"Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, fellow delegates, ladies and
gentleman: it is my honor to address you for the first time as the
forty-fourth President of the United States. I come before you humbled
by the responsibility that the American people have placed upon me;
mindful of the enormous challenges of our moment in history; and
determined to act boldly and collectively on behalf of justice and
prosperity at home and abroad.
"I have been in office for just nine months, though some days it
seems a lot longer. I am well aware of the expectations that accompany
my presidency around the world. These expectations are not about me.
Rather, they are rooted I believe in a discontent with a status quo
that has allowed us to be increasingly defined by our differences, and
outpaced by our problems. But they are also rooted in the hope that
real change is possible, and the hope that America will be a leader in
bringing about such change.
"I took office at a time when many around the world had come to
view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to
misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was
due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain
critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for
the interests of others. This has fed an almost reflexive
anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for our
collective inaction.
"Like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my
nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those
interests. But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2009 more
than at any point in human history -- the interests of nations and
peoples are shared.
"The religious convictions that we hold in our hearts can forge new
bonds among people, or tear us apart. The technology we harness can
light the path to peace, or forever darken it. The energy we use can
sustain our planet, or destroy it. What happens to the hope of a
single child anywhere - can enrich our world, or impoverish it.
"In this hall, we come from many places, but we share a common
future. No longer do we have the luxury of indulging our differences
to the exclusion of the work that we must do together. I have carried
this message from London to Ankara; from Port of Spain to Moscow; from
Accra to Cairo; and it's what I will speak about today. Because the
time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must
embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interests and mutual
respect, and our work must begin now.
"We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words.
Speeches alone will not solve our problems. It will take persistent
action. So for those who question the character and cause of my
nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions that we have taken
in just nine months.
"On my first day in office, I prohibited -- without exception or
equivocation -- the use of torture by the United States of America. I
ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and we are doing the hard
work of forging a framework to combat extremism within the rule of
law. Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will
lead by example.
"We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of
this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist
allies -- a network that has killed thousands of people of many faiths
and nations, and that plotted to blow up this very building. In
Afghanistan and Pakistan, we -- and many nations here -- are helping
those governments develop the capacity to take the lead in this
effort, while working to advance opportunity and security for their
people.
"In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war. We have removed American
combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August
to remove all of our combat brigades from Iraqi territory. And I have
made clear that we will help Iraqis transition to full responsibility
for their future, and keep our commitment to remove all American
troops by the end of 2011.
"I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world
without nuclear weapons. In Moscow, the United States and Russia
announced that we would pursue substantial reductions in our strategic
warheads and launchers. At the Conference on Disarmament, we agreed on
a work plan to negotiate an end to the production of fissile materials
for nuclear weapons. And this week, my Secretary of State will become
the first senior American representative to the annual Members
Conference of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
"Upon taking office, I appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East
Peace, and America has worked steadily and aggressively to advance the
cause of two states -- Israel and Palestine -- in which peace and
security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians
are respected.
"To confront climate change, we have invested 80 billion dollars in
clean energy. We have substantially increased our fuel-efficiency
standards. We have provided new incentives for conservation, launched
an energy partnership across the Americas, and moved from a bystander
to a leader in international climate negotiations.
"To overcome an economic crisis that touches every corner of the
world, we worked with the G-20 nations to forge a coordinated
international response of over two trillion dollars in stimulus to
bring the global economy back from the brink. We mobilized resources
that helped prevent the crisis from spreading further to developing
countries. And we joined with others to launch a $20 billion global
food security initiative that will lend a hand to those who need it
most, and help them build their own capacity". |