United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
11:08 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thanks.
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-Normal, my fellow leaders, within the final 12 months, our world has skilled nice upheaval: a rising disaster in meals insecurity; document warmth, floods, and droughts; COVID-19; inflation; and a brutal, useless conflict — a conflict chosen by one man, to be very blunt.
Allow us to converse plainly. A everlasting member of the United Nations Safety Council invaded its neighbor, tried to erase a sovereign state from the map.
Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Constitution — no extra vital than the clear prohibition in opposition to nations taking the territory of their neighbor by drive.
Once more, simply at this time, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats in opposition to Europe and a reckless disregard for the tasks of the non-proliferation regime.
Now Russia is looking — calling up extra troopers to hitch the combat. And the Kremlin is organizing a sham referenda to attempt to annex elements of Ukraine, an especially vital violation of the U.N. Constitution.
This world ought to see these outrageous acts for what they’re. Putin claims he needed to act as a result of Russia was threatened. However nobody threatened Russia, and nobody apart from Russia sought battle.
In truth, we warned it was coming. And with lots of you, we labored to attempt to avert it.
Putin’s personal phrases make his true function unmistakable. Simply earlier than he invaded, Putin asserted — and I quote — Ukraine was “created by Russia” and by no means had, quote, “actual statehood.”
And now we see assaults on faculties, railway stations, hospitals, wa- — on facilities of Ukrainian historical past and tradition.
Up to now, much more horrifying proof of Russia’s atrocity and conflict crimes: mass graves uncovered in Izyum; our bodies, in accordance to those who excavated these our bodies, exhibiting indicators of torture.
This conflict is about extinguishing Ukraine’s proper to exist as a state, plain and easy, and Ukraine’s proper to exist as a individuals. Whoever you’re, wherever you reside, no matter you imagine, that ought to not — that ought to make your blood run chilly.
That’s why 141 nations within the Normal Meeting got here collectively to unequivocally condemn Russia’s conflict in opposition to Ukraine. The US has marshaled large ranges of safety help and humanitarian assist and direct financial assist for Ukraine — greater than $25 billion to this point.
Our allies and companions around the globe have stepped up as nicely. And at this time, greater than 40 nations represented in right here have contributed billions of their very own cash and gear to assist Ukraine defend itself.
The US can be working intently with our allies and companions to impose prices on Russia, to discourage assaults in opposition to NATO territory, to carry Russia accountable for the atrocities and conflict crimes.
As a result of if nations can pursue their imperial ambitions with out penalties, then we put in danger every thing this very establishment stands for. Every part.
Each victory gained on the battlefield belongs to the brave Ukrainian troopers. However this previous 12 months, the world was examined as nicely, and we didn’t hesitate.
We selected liberty. We selected sovereignty. We selected rules to which each celebration to the United Nations Constitution is beholding. We stood with Ukraine.
Such as you, america needs this conflict to finish on simply phrases, on phrases all of us signed up for: that you simply can’t seize a nation’s territory by drive. The one nation standing in the way in which of that’s Russia.
So, we — every of us on this physique who is set to uphold the rules and beliefs we pledge to defend as members of the United Nations — should be clear, agency, and unwavering in our resolve.
Ukraine has the identical rights that belong to each sovereign nation. We’ll stand in solidarity with Ukraine. We’ll stand in solidarity in opposition to Russia’s aggression. Interval.
Now, it’s no secret that within the contest between democracy and autocracy, america — and I, as President — champion a imaginative and prescient for our world that’s grounded within the values of democracy.
The US is set to defend and strengthen democracy at residence and around the globe. As a result of I imagine democracy stays humanity’s best instrument to handle the challenges of our time.
We’re working with the G7 and likeminded nations to show democracies can ship for his or her residents but additionally ship for the remainder of the world as nicely.
However as we meet at this time, the U.N. Constitution — the U.N. Constitution’s very foundation of a steady and simply rule-based order is beneath assault by those that want to tear it down or distort it for their very own political benefit.
And the United Nations Constitution was not solely signed by democracies of the world, it was negotiated amongst residents of dozens of countries with vastly completely different histories and ideologies, united of their dedication to work for peace.
As President Truman stated in 1945, the U.N. Constitution — and I quote — is “proof that nations, like males, can state their variations, can face them, after which can discover frequent floor on which to face.” Finish of quote.
That frequent floor was so simple, so fundamental that, at this time, 193 of you — 193 member states — have willingly embraced its rules. And standing up for these rules for the U.N. Constitution is the job of each accountable member state.
I reject the usage of violence and conflict to beat nations or broaden borders by bloodshed.
To face in opposition to international politics of concern and coercion; to defend the sovereign rights of smaller nations as equal to these of bigger ones; to embrace fundamental rules like freedom of navigation, respect for worldwide legislation, and arms management — it doesn’t matter what else we might disagree on, that’s the frequent floor upon which we should stand.
For those who’re nonetheless dedicated to a powerful basis for the nice of each nation around the globe, then america needs to work with you.
I additionally imagine the time has come for this establishment to grow to be extra inclusive in order that it will probably higher reply to the wants of at this time’s world.
Members of the U.N. Safety Council, together with america, ought to persistently uphold and defend the U.N. Constitution and chorus — chorus from the usage of the veto, besides in uncommon, extraordinary conditions, to make sure that the Council stays credible and efficient.
That can be why america helps growing the variety of each everlasting and non-permanent representatives of the Council. This consists of everlasting seats for these nations we’ve lengthy supported and everlasting seats for nations in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The US is dedicated to this very important work. In each area, we pursued new, constructive methods to work with companions to advance shared pursuits, from elevating the Quad within the Indo-Pacific; to signing the Los Angeles Declaration of Migration and Safety on the Summit of the Americas; to becoming a member of a historic assembly of 9 Arab leaders to work towards a extra peaceable, built-in Center East; to internet hosting the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in — this December.
As I stated final 12 months, america is opening an period of relentless diplomacy to handle the challenges that matter most to individuals’s lives — all individuals’s lives: tackling the local weather disaster, because the earlier spoker [sic] — speaker spoke to; strengthening international well being safety; feeding the world — feeding the world.
We made that precedence. And one 12 months later, we’re preserving that promise.
From the day I got here to workplace, we’ve led with a daring local weather agenda. We rejoined the Paris Settlement, convened main local weather summits, helped ship important agreements on COP26. And we helped get two thirds of the world GDP on observe to restrict warming to 1.5 levels Celsius.
And now I’ve signed a historic piece of laws right here in america that features the most important, most vital local weather dedication we now have ever made within the historical past of our nation: $369 billion towards local weather change. That features tens of billions in new investments in offshore wind and photo voltaic, doubling down on zero emission automobiles, growing vitality effectivity, supporting clear manufacturing.
Our Division of Vitality estimates that this new legislation will cut back U.S. emissions by one gigaton a 12 months by 2030 whereas unleashing a brand new period of clean-energy-powered financial development.
Our investments will even assist cut back the price of creating clear vitality applied sciences worldwide, not simply america. It is a international gamechanger — and none too quickly. We don’t have a lot time.
Everyone knows we’re already residing in a local weather disaster. Nobody appears to doubt it after this previous 12 months. We meet — we meet — a lot of Pas- — as we meet, a lot of Pakistan remains to be underwater; it wants assist. In the meantime, the Horn of Africa faces unprecedented drought.
Households are going through unimaginable decisions, selecting which youngster to feed and questioning whether or not they’ll survive.
That is the human value of local weather change. And it’s rising, not lessening.
So, as I introduced final 12 months, to fulfill our international duty, my administration is working with our Congress to ship greater than $11 billion a 12 months to worldwide local weather finance to assist lower-income nations implement their local weather objectives and guarantee a simply vitality transition.
The important thing a part of that will probably be our PEPFAR [PREPARE] plan, which can assist half a billion individuals, and particularly susceptible nations, adapt to the impacts of local weather change and construct resilience.
This want is gigantic. So let this be the second we discover inside ourselves the need to show again the tide of local weather demastation [sic] — devastation and unlock a resilient, sustainable, clear vitality economic system to protect our planet.
On international well being, we’ve delivered greater than 620 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 116 nations around the globe, with extra out there to assist meet nations’ wants — all freed from cost, no strings connected.
And we’re working intently with the G20 and different nations. And america helped lead the change to ascertain a groundbreaking new Fund for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response on the World Financial institution.
On the identical time, we’ve continued to advance the ball on enduring international well being challenges.
Later at this time, I’ll host the Seventh Replenishment Convention for the World Fund to Combat AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. With bipartisan assist in our Congress, I’ve pledged to contribute as much as $6 billion to that effort.
So I stay up for welcoming a historic spherical of pledges on the convention leading to one of many largest international well being fundraisers ever held in all of historical past.
We’re additionally taking over the meals disaster head on. With as many as 193 million individuals around the globe experiencing acute — acute meals insecurity — a soar of 40 million in a 12 months — at this time I’m saying one other $2.9 billion in U.S. assist for lifesaving humanitarian and meals safety help for this 12 months alone.
Russia, within the meantime, is pumping out lies, making an attempt to pin the blame for the disaster — the meals disaster — onto sanctions imposed by many on this planet for the aggression in opposition to Ukraine.
So let me be completely clear about one thing: Our sanctions explicitly enable — explicitly enable Russia the flexibility to export meals and fertilizer. No limitation. It’s Russia’s conflict that’s worsening meals insecurity, and solely Russia can finish it.
I’m grateful for the work right here on the U.N. — together with your management, Mr. Secretary-Normal — establishing a mechanism to export grain from Black Sea ports in Ukraine that Russia had blocked for months, and we want to ensure it’s prolonged.
We imagine strongly in the necessity to feed the world. That’s why america is the world’s largest supporter of the World Meals Programme, with greater than 40 p.c of its finances.
We’re main assist — we’re main assist of the UNICEF efforts to feed youngsters around the globe.
And to tackle the bigger problem of meals insecurity, america launched a Name to Motion: a roadmap eliminating international meals insecurity — to eliminating international meals insecurity that greater than 100 nation member states have already supported.
In June, the G7 introduced greater than $4.5 billion to strengthen meals safety around the globe.
By way of USAID’s Feed the Future initiative, america is scaling up progressive methods to get drought- and heat-resistant seeds into the arms of farmers who want them, whereas distributing fertilizer and bettering fertilizer effectivity in order that farmers can develop extra whereas utilizing much less.
And we’re calling on all nations to chorus from banning meals exports or hoarding grain whereas so many individuals are struggling. As a result of in each nation on this planet, it doesn’t matter what else divides us, if mother and father can’t feed their youngsters, nothing — nothing else issues if mother and father can’t feed their youngsters.
As we glance to the long run, we’re working with our companions to replace and create guidelines of the street for brand new challenges we face within the twenty first century.
We launched the Commerce and Know-how Council with the European Union to make sure that key applied sciences — key applied sciences are developed and ruled in the way in which that advantages everybody.
With our associate nations and thru the U.N., we’re supporting and strengthening the norms of duty — accountable state habits in our on-line world and dealing to carry accountable those that use cyberattacks to threaten worldwide peace and safety.
With companions within the Americas, Africa, Europe, and the Center East, and the Indo-Pacific, we’re working to construct a brand new financial ecosystem whereas — the place each nation — each nation will get a good shot and financial development is resilient, sustainable, and shared.
That’s why america has championed a worldwide minimal tax. And we’ll work to see it applied so main companies pay their justifiable share in every single place — in every single place.
It’s additionally been the thought behind the Indo-Pacific Financial Framework, which america launched this 12 months with 13 different Indo-Pacific economies. We’re working with our companions in ASEAN and the Pacific Islands to assist a imaginative and prescient for a important Indo-Pacific area that’s free and open, linked and affluent, safe and resilient.
Along with companions around the globe, we’re working to ser- — safe resilient provide chains that shield everybody from coercion or domination and make sure that no nation can use vitality as a weapon.
And as Russia’s conflict rolls [sic] — riles the worldwide economic system, we’re additionally calling on main international collectors, together with the non-Paris Membership nations, to transparently negotiate debt forgiveness for lower-income nations to forestall broader financial and political crises around the globe.
As a substitute of infrastructure initiatives that generate enormous and huge debt with out delivering on the promised benefits, let’s meet the big infrastructure wants around the globe with clear investments — high-standard initiatives that shield the rights of staff and the atmosphere — keyed to the wants of the communities they serve, to not the contributor.
That’s why america, along with fellow G7 companions, launched a Partnership for World Infrastructure and Funding. We intend to collectively mobilize $600 billion
in funding by this partnership by 2027.
Dozens of initiatives are already underway: industrial-scale vaccine manufacturing in Senegal, transformative photo voltaic initiatives in Angola, first-of-its-kind small modular nuclear energy plant in Romania.
These are investments which can be going to ship returns not only for these nations, however for everybody. The US will work with each nation, together with our rivals, to resolve international issues like local weather change. Local weather diplomacy will not be a favor to america or another nation, and strolling away hurts your entire world.
Let me be direct in regards to the competitors between america and China. As we handle shifting geopolitical developments, america will conduct itself as an inexpensive chief. We don’t search battle. We don’t search a Chilly Battle. We don’t ask any nation to decide on between america or another associate.
However america will probably be unabashed in selling our imaginative and prescient of a free, open, safe, and affluent world and what we now have to supply communities of countries: investments which can be designed to not foster dependency, however to alleviate burdens and assist nations grow to be self-sufficient; partnerships to not create political obligation, however as a result of we all know our personal success — every of our success is elevated when different nations succeed as nicely.
When people have the possibility to reside in dignity and develop their abilities, everybody advantages. Vital to that’s residing as much as the very best objectives of this establishment: growing peace and safety for everybody, in every single place.
The US is not going to waver in our unrelenting dedication to counter and thwart the persevering with terrorist threats to our world. And we’ll lead with our diplomacy to try for peaceable decision of conflicts.
We search to uphold peace and stability throughout the Taiwan Straits.
We stay dedicated to our One China coverage, which has helped forestall battle for 4 many years. And we proceed to oppose unilateral adjustments in the established order by both aspect.
We assist an African Union-led peace course of to finish the combat in Ethiopia and restore safety for all its individuals.
In Venezuela, the place years of the political oppression have pushed greater than 6 million individuals from that nation, we urge a Venezuelan-led dialogue and a return to free and truthful elections.
We proceed to face with our neighbor in Haiti because it faces political-fueled gang violence and an unlimited human disaster.
And we name on the world to do the identical. We’ve got extra to do.
We’ll proceed to again the U.N.-mediated truce in Yemen, which has delivered treasured months of peace to those who have suffered years of conflict.
And we’ll proceed to advocate for lasting negotiating peace between the Jewish and democratic state of Israel and the Palestinian individuals. The US is dedicated to Israel’s safety, full cease. And a negotiated two-state resolution stays, in our view, one of the simplest ways to make sure Israel’s safety and prosperity for the long run and provides the Palestinians the state which — to which they’re entitled — each side to totally respect the equal rights of their residents; each individuals having fun with equal measure of freedom and dignity.
Let me additionally urge each nation to recommit to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime by diplomacy. It doesn’t matter what else is occurring on this planet, america is able to pursue important arms management measures. A nuclear conflict can’t be gained and mustn’t ever be fought.
The 5 everlasting members of the Safety Council simply reaffirmed that dedication in January. However at this time, we’re seeing disturbing developments. Russia shunned the Non-Proliferati- — -Proliferation beliefs embraced by each different nation on the tenth NPT Evaluation Convention.
And once more, at this time, as I stated, they’re making irresponsible nuclear threats to make use of nuclear weapons. China is conducting an unprecedented, regarding nuclear buildup with none transparency.
Regardless of our efforts to start severe and sustained diplomacy, the Democratic Folks’s Republic of Korea continues to blatantly violate U.N. sanctions.
And whereas america is ready for a mutual return to the Joint Complete Plan of Motion if Iran steps as much as its obligations, america is evident: We is not going to enable Iran to accumulate a nuclear weapon.
I proceed to imagine that diplomacy is one of the simplest ways to attain this final result. The nonproliferation regime is without doubt one of the best successes of this establishment. We can’t let the world now slide backwards, nor can we flip a blind eye to the erosion of human rights.
Maybe singular amongst this physique’s achievements stands the Common Declaration of Human Rights, which is the usual by which our forebears challenged us to measure ourselves.
They made clear in 1948: Human rights are the idea for all that we search to attain. And but at this time, in 2022, elementary freedoms are in danger in each a part of our world, from the violations of — in Xinjiang detailed in current reviews by the Workplace of U.N. — U.S. — reviews detailing by the U.S. [U.N.] Excessive Commissioner, to the horrible abuses in opposition to pro-democracy activists and ethnic minorities by the army regime in Burma, to the elevated repression of ladies and ladies by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
And at this time, we stand with the courageous residents and the courageous girls of Iran who proper now are demonstrating to safe their fundamental rights.
However right here’s what I do know: The long run will probably be gained by these nations that unleash the complete potential of their populations, the place girls and ladies can train equal rights, together with fundamental reproductive rights, and contribute absolutely to constructing a stronger economies and extra resilient societies; the place spiritual and ethnic minorities can reside their lives with out harassment and contribute to the material of their communities; the place the LGBTQ+ group people reside and love freely with out being focused with violence; the place residents can query and criticize their leaders with out concern of reprisal.
The US will at all times promote human rights and the values enshrined within the U.N. Constitution in our personal nation and around the globe.
Let me finish with this: This establishment, guided by the U.N. Constitution and the Common Declaration of Human Rights, is at its core an act of dauntless hope.
Let me say that once more: It’s an act of dauntless hope.
Take into consideration the imaginative and prescient of these first delegates who undertook a seemingly unimaginable job whereas the world was nonetheless smoldering.
Take into consideration how divided the individuals of the world should have felt with the recent grief of tens of millions useless, the genocidal horrors of the Holocaust uncovered.
They’d each proper to imagine solely the worst of humanity. As a substitute, they reached for what was finest in all of us, and so they strove to construct one thing higher: enduring peace; comity amongst nations; equal rights for each member of the human household; cooperation for the development of all humankind.
My fellow leaders, the challenges we face at this time are nice certainly, however our capability is larger. Our dedication should be better nonetheless.
So let’s stand collectively to once more declare the unmistakable resolve that nations of the world are united nonetheless, that we stand for the values of the U.N. Constitution, that we nonetheless imagine by working collectively we are able to bend the arc of historical past towards a freer and extra simply world for all our youngsters, though none of us have absolutely achieved it.
We’re not passive witnesses to historical past; we’re the authors of historical past.
We will do that — we now have to do it — for ourselves and for our future, for humankind.
Thanks on your tolerance, for listening to me. I recognize it very a lot. God bless you all. (Applause.)
11:37 A.M. EDT
