I share it in its entirety. Courtesy The White House. Haruna.
President  Bush Addresses United Nations General Assembly
United Nations  Headquarters
New York, New York





10:12 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary General, distinguished delegates, ladies and
gentlemen: I'm pleased to be here to address the General Assembly.
Sixty-three years ago, representatives from around the world gathered in San
Francisco to complete the founding of the Charter of the United Nations. They
 met in the shadow of a devastating war, with grave new dangers on the
horizon.  They agreed on a historic pledge: "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human
rights, and unite their strength to maintain international peace and
security."

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/images/20080923-5_d-0264-6-513h.html) This noble pledge has endured trying hours  in the United Nations'
history, and it still guides our work today. Yet the  ideals of the Charter
are now facing a challenge as serious as any since the  U.N.'s founding -- a
global movement of violent extremists. By deliberately  murdering the innocent to
advance their aims, these extremists defy the  fundamental principles of
international order. They show contempt for all who  respect life and value human
dignity. They reject the words of the Bible, the  Koran, the Torah, or any
standard of conscience or morality. They imperil the  values of justice and human
rights that gave birth to the United Nations --  values that have fueled an
unprecedented expansion of freedom across the world.
To uphold the words of the Charter in the face of this challenge, every
nation in this chamber has responsibilities. As sovereign states, we have an
obligation to govern responsibly, and solve problems before they spill across
borders. We have an obligation to prevent our territory from being used as a
sanctuary for terrorism and proliferation and human trafficking and organized
crime. We have an obligation to respect the rights and respond to the needs of
our people.
Multilateral organizations have responsibilities. For eight years, the
nations in this assembly have worked together to confront the extremist threat.  We
witnessed successes and setbacks, and through it all a clear lesson has
emerged: The United Nations and other multilateral organizations are needed more
urgently than ever. To be successful, we must be focused and resolute and
effective. Instead of only passing resolutions decrying terrorist attacks after
they occur, we must cooperate more closely to keep terrorist attacks from
happening in the first place. Instead of treating all forms of government as
equally tolerable, we must actively challenge the conditions of tyranny and
despair that allow terror and extremism to thrive. By acting together to meet  the
fundamental challenge of our time, we can lead toward a world that is more
secure, and more prosperous, and more hopeful.

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/images/20080923-5_p092308cg-0201-515h.html) In the decades ahead, the United Nations and  other
multilateral organizations must continually confront terror. This mission  requires
clarity of vision. We must see the terrorists for what they are:  ruthless
extremists who exploit the desperate, subvert the tenets of a great  religion, and
seek to impose their will on as many people as possible. Some  suggest that
these men would pose less of a threat if we'd only leave them  alone. Yet their
leaders make clear that no concession could ever satisfy their  ambitions.
Bringing the terrorists to justice does not create terrorism -- it's  the best way
to protect our people.
Multilateral organizations must respond by taking an unequivocal moral stand
against terrorism. No cause can justify the deliberate taking of innocent
human  life -- and the international community is nearing universal agreement on
this  truth. The vast majority of nations in this assembly now agree that
tactics like  suicide bombing, hostage-taking and hijacking are never legitimate.
The Security  Council has passed resolutions declaring terror unlawful and
requiring all  nations to crack down on terrorist financing. And earlier this
month, the  Secretary General held a conference to highlight victims of terror,
where he  stated that terrorism can never be justified.
Other multilateral organizations have spoken clearly, as well. The G8 has
declared that all terrorist acts are criminal and must be universally condemned.
 And the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
recently  spoke out against a suicide bombing, which he said runs counter to the
teachings  of Islam. The message behind these statements is resolutely clear:
Like slavery  and piracy, terrorism has no place in the modern world.
Around the globe, nations are turning these words into action. Members of the
 United Nations are sharing intelligence with one another, conducting joint
operations, and freezing terrorist finances. While terrorists continue to
carry  out attacks like the terrible bombing in Islamabad last week, our joint
actions  have spared our citizens from many devastating blows.
With the brutal nature of the extremists increasingly clear, the coalition of
 nations confronting terror is growing stronger. Over the past seven years,
Afghanistan and Iraq have been transformed from regimes that actively sponsor
terror to democracies that fight terror. Libya has renounced its support for
terror and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Nations like Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan are actively pursuing the terrorists. A few nations -- regimes like
Syria and Iran -- continue to sponsor terror. Yet their numbers are growing
fewer, and they're growing more isolated from the world.

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/images/20080923-5_p092308cg-0250-515h.html) As the 21st century unfolds, some may be  tempted to assume
that the threat has receded. This would be comforting; it  would be wrong. The
terrorists believe time is on their side, so they made  waiting out civilized
nations part of their strategy. We must not allow them to  succeed. The
nations of this body must stand united in the fight against terror.  We must
continue working to deny the terrorists refuge anywhere in the world,  including
ungoverned spaces. We must remain vigilant against proliferation -- by  fully
implementing the terms of Security Council Resolution 1540, and enforcing
sanctions against North Korea and Iran. We must not relent until our people are  safe
from this threat to civilization.
To uphold the Charter's promise of peace and security in the 21st century, we
 must also confront the ideology of the terrorists. At its core, the struggle
 against extremists is a battle of ideas. The terrorists envision a world in
which religious freedom is denied, women are oppressed, and all dissent is
crushed. The nations of this chamber must present a more hopeful alternative --
 a vision where people can speak freely, and worship as they choose, and
pursue  their dreams in liberty.
Advancing the vision of freedom serves our highest ideals, as expressed in
the U.N.'s Charter's commitment to "the dignity and worth of the human person."
 Advancing this vision also serves our security interests. History shows that
 when citizens have a voice in choosing their own leaders, they are less
likely  to search for meaning in radical ideologies. And when governments respect
the  rights of their people, they're more likely to respect the rights of
their  neighbors.
For all these reasons, the nations of this body must challenge tyranny as
vigorously as we challenge terror. Some question whether people in certain parts
 of the world actually desire freedom. This self-serving condescension has
been  disproved before our eyes. From the voting booths of Afghanistan, Iraq,
and  Liberia, to the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and the Rose Revolution in
Georgia,  to the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon and the Tulip Revolution in
Kyrgyzstan, we  have seen people consistently make the courageous decision to demand
their  liberty. For all the suggestions to the contrary, the truth is that
whenever or  wherever people are given the choice, they choose freedom.
Nations in these chambers have supported the efforts of dissidents and
reformers and civil society advocates in newly free societies throughout the new
United Nations Democracy Fund. And we appreciate those efforts. And as young
democracies around the world continue to make brave stands for liberty,
multilateral organizations like the United Nations must continue to stand with
them.
In Afghanistan, a determined people are working to overcome decades of
tyranny, and protect their newly-free society. They have strong support from all
26 nations of the NATO Alliance. I appreciate the United Nations' decision this
 week to renew the mandate for the International Security Assistance Force in
 Afghanistan. The United Nations is also an active civilian presence in
Afghanistan, where experts are doing important work helping to improve  education,
facilitate humanitarian aid, and protect human rights. We must  continue to
help the Afghan people defend their young democracy -- so the  Taliban does not
return to power, and Afghanistan is never again a safe haven  for terror.
In Iraq, the fight has been difficult, yet daily life has improved
dramatically over the past 20 months -- thanks to the courage of the Iraqi  people, a
determined coalition of nations, and a surge of American troops. The  United
Nations has provided the mandate for multinational forces in Iraq through  this
December. And the United Nations is carrying out an ambitious strategy to
strengthen Iraq's democracy, including helping Iraqis prepare for their next
round of free elections. Whatever disagreements our nations have had on Iraq, we
should all welcome this progress toward stability and peace -- and we should
stand united in helping Iraq's democracy succeed.
We must stand united in our support of other young democracies, from the
people of Lebanon struggling to maintain their hard-won independence, to the
people of the Palestinian Territories, who deserve a free and peaceful state of
their own. We must stand united in our support of the people of Georgia. The
United Nations Charter sets forth the "equal rights of nations large and
small."  Russia's invasion of Georgia was a violation of those words. Young
democracies  around the world are watching to see how we respond to this test. The
United  States has worked with allies in multilateral institutions like the
European  Union and NATO to uphold Georgia's territorial integrity and provide
humanitarian relief. And our nations will continue to support Georgia's
democracy.
In this chamber are representatives of Georgia and Ukraine and Lebanon and
Afghanistan and Liberia and Iraq, and other brave young democracies. We admire
your courage. We honor your sacrifices. We thank you for your inspiring
example.  We will continue to stand with all who stand for freedom. This noble goal
is  worthy of the United Nations, and it should have the support of every
member in  this assembly.
Extending the reach of political freedom is essential to prevailing in the
great struggle of our time -- but it is not enough. Many in this chamber have
answered the call to help their brothers and sisters in need by working to
alleviate hopelessness. These efforts to improve the human condition honor the
highest ideals of this institution. They also advance our security interests.
The extremists find their most fertile recruiting grounds in societies
trapped  in chaos and despair -- places where people see no prospect of a better
life. In  the shadows of hopelessness, radicalism thrives. And eventually, that
radicalism  can boil over into violence and cross borders and take innocent
lives across the  world.
Overcoming hopelessness requires addressing its causes -- poverty, disease,
and ignorance. Challenging these conditions is in the interest of every nation
 in this chamber. And democracies are particularly well-positioned to carry
out  this work. Because we have experience responding to the needs of our own
people,  we're natural partners in helping other nations respond to the needs
of theirs.  Together, we must commit our resources and efforts to advancing
education and  health and prosperity.
Over the years, many nations have made well-intentioned efforts to promote
these goals. Yet the success of these efforts must be measured by more than
intentions -- they must be measured by results. My nation has placed an
insistence on results at the heart of our foreign assistance programs. We  launched a
new initiative called the Millennium Challenge Account, which directs  our
help to countries that demonstrate their ability to produce results by
governing justly, and fighting corruption, and pursuing market-based economic
policies, as well as investing in their people. Every country and institution  that
provides foreign assistance, including the United Nations, will be more
effective by showing faith in the people of the developing world -- and  insisting
on performance in return for aid.
Experience also shows that to be effective, we must adopt a model of
partnership, not paternalism. This approach is based on our conviction that  people
in the developing world have the capacity to improve their own lives --  and
will rise to meet high expectations if we set them. America has sought to  apply
this model in our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Every nation that  receives
American support through this initiative develops its own plan for  fighting
HIV/AIDS -- and measures the results. And so far, these results are
inspiring: Five years ago, 50,000 people in sub-Sahara Africa were receiving  treatment
for HIV/AIDS. Today that number is nearly 1.7 million. We're taking a
similar approach to fighting malaria, and so far, we've supported local efforts  to
protect more than 25 million Africans.
Multilateral organizations have made bold commitments of their own to fight
disease. The G8 has pledged to match America's efforts on malaria and
HIV/AIDS.  Through the Global Fund, many countries are working to fight HIV/AIDS,
malaria,  and TB. Lives in the developing world depend on these programs, and all
who have  made pledges to fight disease have an obligation to follow through
on their  commitments.
One of the most powerful engines of development and prosperity is trade and
investment, which create new opportunities for entrepreneurs, and help people
rise out of poverty, and reinforce fundamental values like transparency and
rule  of law. For all these reasons, many in these chambers have conducted free
trade  agreements at bilateral and regional levels. The most effective step
of all  would be an agreement that tears down trade barriers at the global
level. The  recent impasse in the Doha Round is disappointing, but that does not
have to be  the final word. I urge every nation to seize this opportunity to
lift up  economies around the world -- and reach a successful Doha agreement as
soon as  possible.
Beyond Doha, our nations must renew our commitment to open economies, and
stand firm against economic isolationism. These objectives are being tested by
turbulence in the global financial markets. Our economies are more closely
connected than ever before, and I know that many of you here are watching how
the United States government will address the problems in our financial system.

In recent weeks, we have taken bold steps to prevent a severe disruption of
the American economy, which would have a devastating effect on other economies
 around the world. We've promoted stability in the markets by preventing the
disorderly failure of major companies. The Federal Reserve has injected
urgently-needed liquidity into the system. And last week, I announced a decisive
action by the federal government to address the root cause of much of the
instability in our financial markets -- by purchasing illiquid assets that are
weighing down balance sheets and restricting the flow of credit. I can assure
you that my administration and our Congress are working together to quickly
pass  legislation approving this strategy. And I'm confident we will act in the
urgent  time frame required.
The objectives I've laid out for multilateral institutions -- confronting
terror, opposing tyranny, and promoting effective development -- are difficult,
but they are necessary tasks. To have maximum impact, multilateral
institutions  must take on challenging missions. And like all of us in this chamber,
they must  work toward measurable goals, be accountable for their actions, and
hold true to  their word.
In the 21st century, the world needs a confident and effective United
Nations. This unique institution should build on its successes and improve its
performance. Where there is inefficiency and corruption, it must be corrected.
Where there are bloated bureaucracies, they must be streamlined. Where members
fail to uphold their obligations, there must be strong action. For example,
there should be an immediate review of the Human Rights Council, which has
routinely protected violators of human rights. There should be a stronger effort
to help the people of Burma live free of the repression they have suffered
for  too long. And all nations, especially members of the Security Council, must
act  decisively to ensure that the government of Sudan upholds its commitment
to  address the violence in Darfur.
The United Nations is an organization of extraordinary potential. As the
United Nations rebuilds its headquarters, it must also open the door to a new
age of transparency, accountability, and seriousness of purpose.
With determination and clear purpose, the United Nations can be a powerful
force for good as we head into the 21st century. It can affirm the great
promise  of its founding.
In the final days of the San Francisco Conference, the delegates negotiating
the U.N. Charter received a visit from President Harry Truman. He
acknowledged  the enormous challenges they faced, and said success was only possible
because  of what he called an "unshakable unity of determination." Today the world
is  engaged in another period of great challenge. And by continuing to work
together, that unshakable unity of determination will be ours. Together, we
confront and defeat the evil of terrorism. Together, we can secure the
Almighty's gift of liberty and justice to millions who have not known it. And
together, we can build a world that is freer, safer, and better for the  generations
who follow.
Thank you. (Applause.)
END 10:34 A.M. EDT



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