YouSaid · the spoken record

David Cameron

lines on the record: 52
first: 2011-09-24
most recent: 2014-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We have a comprehensive strategy to do that, with the political, diplomatic, humanitarian and military components that are needed to succeed over time. The Security Council has now received a clear request from the Iraqi Government to support it in its military action against ISIL. So we have a clear basis in international law for action, and we have a need to act in our own national interest to protect our people and our society. It is right that Britain should now move to a new phase of action. I am therefore recalling the British Parliament on Friday to secure approval for the United Kingdom to take part in international air strikes against ISIL in Iraq. My message today is simple. We are facing an evil against which the whole world should unite. As ever, in the cause of freedom, democracy and justice, Britain will play its part.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Whether it is supporting action against Boko Haram in Nigeria, against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, against Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, or against Al-Qaida in Yemen, it is right to help those who are fighting on the front line for their societies, their countries and their freedom. Along with our European partners, we have already been supplying equipment directly to Kurdish forces. We are strengthening the resilience of the military forces in neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan, and British Tornado and surveillance aircraft have already been helping with intelligence gathering and logistics support to help those taking on ISIL in Iraq. We now have a substantial international coalition in place, including Arab nations, committed to confronting and defeating ISIL.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“What about the role of our military? I do not believe that the treat of Islamist extremism will best be solved by Western ground troops directly trying to pacify or reconstruct Middle Eastern or African countries. But, pursuing an intelligent and comprehensive approach should include a place for our military. Our military can support the enormous humanitarian efforts that are necessary, as our Royal Air Force did in helping the millions of people who fled from ISIL. We should, together, do more to build the capability of the legitimate authorities that are fighting the extremists. That can mean training, equipping and advising, and providing technology and the other assets necessary for success.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“That starts at home. For our part, in the United Kingdom we are introducing new powers to strengthen our ability to seize passports and stop suspects from travelling; to allow us to strip British identity from dual nationals and temporarily prevent some British nationals getting back into our country; to ensure that airlines comply with our no fly lists and security screening requirements; and to enable our police and security services to apply for stronger locational constraints on those in the United Kingdom who pose a risk. Here at the United Nations we have led in the adoption of a Security Council resolution to disrupt the flows of finance to ISIL, to sanction those who are seeking to recruit to ISIL and to encourage countries to do all they can to prevent foreign fighters joining the extremist cause.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“ISIL is a threat to us all, but the greatest threat is to the region. It is very welcome that a number of Arab countries have already taken part in the action to degrade ISIL. They have shown courage and leadership. Iran should also be given the chance to show it can be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Earlier today I met with President Rouhani. We have severe disagreements. Iran’s support for terrorist organizations, its nuclear programme, and its treatment of its people all need to change. But Iran’s leaders could help in defeating the threat from ISIL. They could help to secure a more stable, inclusive Iraq, and a more stable and inclusive Syria. If they are prepared to do this, we should welcome their engagement. Finally, when the safety and security of our people are at stake, we must be uncompromising in our response.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Doing a deal with Al-Assad will not defeat ISIL because the bias and the brutality of the Al-Assad regime were and are one of the most powerful recruiting tools for the extremists. Syria needs what Iraq needs — an inclusive, representative, democratic Government that can look after the interests of all its peoples. To those who have backed Al-Assad or who have stood on the sidelines, I would say this: “We are ready to join with you in a new political effort to secure a representative and accountable Government in Damascus that can take the fight to ISIL”. It is simply not credible for Al-Assad to lead such a government although we are prepared to look at every practical option to find a way forward. We must be inclusive, engaging the widest possible coalition of countries in this international effort.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Too often, people have been faced with a false choice between an autocratic and unrepresentative government on the one hand and a brutal insurgency, with religion misused as its rallying call, on the other. To combat this we must support the building blocks of free and open societies. In Iraq this means supporting the creation of a new and genuinely inclusive Government capable of uniting all Iraqis — Sunnis, Shia, Kurd, Christians and others. In Syria, it must mean a political transition and an end to Al-Assad’s brutality. I know there are some who think that we should do a deal with Al-Assad in order to defeat ISIL. But I think this view is dangerously misguided. Our enemies’ enemy is not our friend; it is another enemy.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The twentieth century taught us the vital role of representative and accountable Governments in offering their people opportunity, hope and dignity. Of course we should not be naïve. Not every country can move at the same speed or even reach the same destination. We should respect different cultures, traditions and histories. But let us be clear — the failure to meet people’s aspirations can create a breeding ground where extremist and even terrorist insurgency can take root. Governments that only govern for some of their people cause deep resentment. In Iraq, the failure of the Al-Maliki Government to represent all of the people has driven some of them into the arms of the extremists.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We need Muslims and their Governments throughout the world to reclaim their religion from these sick terrorists as so many are doing, and quite rightly doing, today. We all need to help them with programmes that channel young people away from these poisonous ideologues, and we need the strongest possible international focus on tackling this ideology, which is why here at the United Nations the United Kingdom is calling for a new Special Representative on extremism. But fighting extremism will never be enough. Communism was defeated not simply by pointing out its flaws, but by showing that the alternative of economic freedoms, democracy and the rule of law could build a better society and a better world. Young people need to see the power of a different, better, more open, more democratic path.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We must ban preachers of hate from coming to our countries. We must proscribe organizations that incite terrorism against people at home and abroad. We must work together to take down illegal online material like the recent videos of ISIL murdering hostages. We must stop the so-called non-violent extremists from inciting hatred and intolerance in our schools, universities and even our prisons. Of course, some will argue that this is not compatible with free speech and intellectual inquiry. But I ask “Would we sit back and allow right-wing extremists, Nazis or Ku Klux Klansmen to recruit on our university campuses?” No, so we should not stand by and just allow any form of non-violent extremism. We need to argue that prophecies of a global war of religion pitting Muslims against the rest of the world are nonsense.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“To defeat ISIL, and organizations like it, we must defeat this ideology in all its forms. As evidence emerges about the backgrounds of those convicted of terrorist offences, it is clear that many of them were initially influenced by preachers who claim not to encourage violence but whose world view can be used as a justification for it. We know this world view. The peddling of lies — that 9/11 was somehow a Jewish plot, or that the 7/7 London attacks were staged; the idea that Muslims are persecuted all over the world as a deliberate act of Western policy; and the concept of an inevitable clash of civilizations. We must be clear. To defeat the ideology of extremism we need to deal with all forms of extremism, not just violent extremism. For governments there are some obvious ways we can do this.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We should be intelligent, supporting representative and accountable Governments and working with them at their request, not going in over their heads. We should be inclusive, working with partners in the region who are prepared to be part of the solution, potentially including Iran. We should be uncompromising, using all the means at our disposal, including military force, to hunt down these extremists. Let me take each of these in turn. The root cause of this terrorist threat is a poisonous ideology of Islamist extremism. This has nothing to do with Islam, which is a peaceful religion that inspires countless acts of generosity every day. Islamist extremism on the other hand believes in using the most brutal forms of terrorism to force people to accept a warped world view and to live in a quasi-mediaeval state.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Of course it is absolutely right that we should learn the lessons of the past, especially what happened in Iraq a decade ago. But we have to learn the right lessons — yes to careful preparation; no to rushing to join a conflict without a clear plan. But we must not be so frozen with fear that we do not do anything at all. Isolation and withdrawing from a problem like ISIL will only make matters worse. We must not allow past mistakes to become an excuse for indifference or inaction. The right lesson is that we should act, but act differently. We should be comprehensive, defeating the ideology of extremism that is the root cause of this terrorism, so that we win the battle of ideas and not just the battle of military might.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Across Syria and northern Iraq thousands have suffered the same fate — Muslims, both Sunni and Shia; Christians; Yazidis; people of every faith and none. ISIL is not a problem restricted to just one region. It has murderous plans to expand its borders well beyond Iraq and Syria and to carry out terrorist atrocities right across the world. It is recruiting new fighters from all over the world. Five hundred have gone there from my country, Britain, and one of them almost certainly brutally murdered two American journalists and a British aid worker. This is a problem that affects us all and we must tackle it together. There is not one person in this Hall who will view this challenge without reference to the past, whether in Iraq or in Afghanistan.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“This year we face extraordinary tests of our values and our resolve. In responding to the aggression against one of our Member States, Ukraine; in seeking peace in the Middle East; in dealing with the terrifying spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa; and in overcoming what I want to focus on today, which is the mortal threat we all face from the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria and Iraq. Deir ez-Zor is a province in eastern Syria. Home to the Al-Sheitaat tribe it was captured by ISIL last month. Seven hundred tribesmen were executed; many were beheaded. The vast majority were civilians, Muslims who refused to take an oath of allegiance to ISIL’s sick extremist world view and who paid for this with their lives. They are not alone.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Let us engage with the new democratic Governments in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya so their success can strengthen democracy, not undermine it. There is no doubt that we are in the midst of profound change and that many uncertainties lie ahead. But the building blocks of democracy, fair economies and open societies are part of the solution, not the problem. Indeed, nothing in the last year has changed my fundamental conviction. The Arab Spring represents a precious opportunity for people to realize their aspirations for a job, a voice and a stake in their future. We in the United Nations must do everything we can to support them.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Islam is a great religion observed peacefully and devoutly by more than 1 billion people. Islamist extremism is a warped political ideology supported by a minority that seeks to hijack that great religion, to gain respectability for its violent objectives. It is vital that we make that distinction. In Turkey, we see a Government with roots in Islamic values but with democratic politics, an open economy and a responsible attitude to supporting change in Libya, Syria and elsewhere in the region. I profoundly believe the same path is open to Egypt, Tunisia and their neighbours. We must help them take it. Democracy and Islam can flourish alongside one another. Let us judge Governments not by their religion, but by how they act and what they do.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“That is why Iran will continue to face the full force of sanctions and scrutiny from the United Nations until it gives up its ambitions to spread a nuclear shadow over the world. It is also why we should not waver from our insistence that Hamas give up violence. Hamas must not be allowed to dictate the way forward. Palestinians should have the chance to fulfil the same aspirations for a job and a voice as others in the region, and we support their right to have a State and a home. And Israelis should be able to fulfil their own aspirations to live in peace and security with their neighbours. Of course there are challenges in working with Governments that have different views and cultural traditions. But there is a fundamental difference between Islam and extremism.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Will they live up to their commitments to protect the rule of law for all citizens, to defend the rights of Christians and minorities and to allow women a full role in society, in the economy and in politics? The truth is this: we cannot build strong economies, we cannot build open societies and we cannot have inclusive political systems if we lock out women. The eyes of the world today may be on the brothers, but the future is as much in the hands of their mothers, their sisters and their daughters. Holding Islamists to account must also mean that if they attempt to undermine the stability of other countries, encourage terrorism instead of peace or promote conflict instead of partnership, we will oppose them.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Finally, perhaps most challenging of all for Western countries like mine, is the argument that elections have simply opened the door to Islamist parties whose values are incompatible with truly open societies. My response to this is clear. We should respect the outcome of elections. But we should not compromise on our definition of what makes an open society. We should judge Islamists by what they do. The test is this. Will they entrust the rights of citizenship to fellow countrymen and countrywomen who do not share their specific political or religious views? Do they accept that, unlike the dictators they replaced, they should never pervert the democratic process to hold onto power if they lose the consent of the people they serve?”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“So we must help these countries unwind the legacy of endemic corruption, military expenditure they cannot afford, natural resources unfairly exploited; in short, the mass kleptocracy that they suffered under for too long. While I am on the subject of stolen assets, we also have a responsibility to help these countries get back the stolen assets that are rightfully theirs, just as we have returned billions of dollars of assets to Libya. It is simply not good enough that the Egyptian people continue to be denied those assets long after Mubarak has gone. Today, I am announcing a new British task force to work with the Egyptian Government to gather evidence, trace assets, work to change European Union law and pursue the legal cases that will return the stolen money to its rightful owners, the Egyptian people.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Too many countries face falling investment, rising food prices and bigger trade deficits. But it is completely wrong to suggest that the Arab Spring has somehow created those economic problems. It is a challenging time for the world economy as a whole. There was never going to be an economic transformation overnight, not least because far from being successful open-market-based economies, many of these countries were beset by vested interests and corruption, with unaccountable institutions. That has, one might say, created a double problem. Not just fragile economies, but worse, people were told they had experienced free enterprise and open markets when they had experienced nothing of the sort.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“In particular, it is a stain on those who have failed to stand up to these atrocities and those who in some cases aided and abetted Al-Assad’s regime of terror. lf the United Nations Charter is to have any value in the twenty- first century, we must now join together to support a rapid political transition. At the same time, no one of conscience can turn a deaf ear to the voices of suffering. Security Council members have a particular responsibility to support the United Nations appeal for Syria. Britain, already the third biggest donor, is today announcing a further $12 million in humanitarian support, including new support for UNICEF’s work to help Syrian children. We look to our international partners to do more as well. Of course, the Arab Spring has not removed overnight the profound economic challenges that these countries face.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The future for Syria is a future without Al-Assad. It has to be based on mutual consent, as was clearly agreed in the International Conference on Syria held in Geneva in June. If anyone was in any doubt about the horrors that Al-Assad has inf licted on his people, just look at the evidence published this week by Save the Children: schools used as torture centres, children used for target practice. A 16-year-old Syrian called Wael who was detained in a police station in Daraa said: “I have seen children slaughtered. No, I do not think I will ever be OK again...lf there was even 1 per cent of humanity in the world, this would not happen”. The blood of those young children is a terrible stain on the reputation of the United Nations.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Next, there are those who say that, whatever may have been achieved elsewhere, in Syria the Arab Spring has unleashed a vortex of sectarian violence and hatred with the potential to destroy the whole region. Syria does present some profound challenges. But those who look at Syria today and blame the Arab Spring have got it the wrong way round. We cannot blame the people for the behaviour of a brutal dictator. The responsibility lies with the brutal dictator himself. Al-Assad is today inf laming Syria’s sectarian tensions, just as his father did as far back as the slaughter in Hama 30 years ago. And not only in Syria; Al-Assad has colluded with those in Iran who are set on dragging the region into wider conflict. The only way out of Syria’s nightmare is to move forward towards political transition and not to give up the cause of freedom.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Brutal dictatorships made the region more dangerous not less; more dangerous because those regimes dealt with frustration at home by whipping up anger against their neighbours, against the West, against Israel; and more dangerous, too, because people denied a job and a voice were given no alternative but a dead-end choice between dictatorship and extremism. What was heartening about the events of Tahrir Square was that the Egyptian people found their voice and rejected that false choice. They withheld their consent from a Government that had lost all legitimacy, and they chose instead the road to a more open and fair society. The road is not easy, but it is the right one. I believe it will make countries safer in the end.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Britain is determined to work with our allies to do that. But democracy and open societies are not the problem. The fact is that, for decades, too many were prepared to tolerate dictators like Al-Qadhafi and Al-Assad on the basis that they would keep their people safe at home and promote stability in the region and the wider world. In fact, neither was true. Not only were theose dictators repressing their people, ruling by control not by consent, plundering the national wealth, and denying people their basic rights and freedoms, they were funding terrorism overseas as well.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“None of it would have come about without people standing up last year and demanding change, or without the United Nations having the courage to respond to those crises. Secondly, there is the argument that the removal of dictators has somehow started to unleash a new wave of violence, extremism and instability. Some argue that in a volatile region, only an authoritarian strong man can maintain stability and security. Or even, some argue, that recent events prove that democracy in the Middle East brings terrorism, not security, and sectarian conflict, not peace. Again, I believe we should reject that argument. I have no illusions about the danger that political transition can be exploited by violent extremists. I understand the importance of protecting people and defending national security.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“That is what the vast majority of Libyans want, too, as we saw so inspiringly in Benghazi last weekend, when they took to the streets in the thousands, refusing to allow extremists to hijack their chance for democracy. The Arab Spring has also brought progress in Egypt, where the democratically elected President has asserted civilian control over the military; in Yemen and Tunisia, where elections have brought new Governments to power; and in Morocco, where there is a new Constitution and a Prime Minister appointed on the basis of a popular vote for the first time. Even further afield, Somalia has also taken the first vital step forward by electing a new President. So there has been progress.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We in the United Nations must step up our efforts to support the people of those countries as they build their own democratic future. Let me take the key arguments in turn. First, there are those who say there has been too little progress, that the Arab Spring has produced few tangible improvements in people’s lives. That is not right. Look at Libya since the fall of Al-Qadhafi. We have seen elections to create a new Congress, and now plans to integrate armed groups into the national police and army. None of that is to ignore the huge and sobering challenges that remain. The murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens was a despicable act of terrorism. But the right response is to finish the work that Chris Stevens gave his life to.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I welcome the steps taken in countries where reform is happening with the consent of the people. I know that every country takes its own path, and that progress will sometimes be slow. Some countries have achieved stability and success based on tradition and consent. Others have endured decades in which the institutions of civil society were deliberately destroyed, political parties banned, free media abolished and the rule of law twisted for the benefit of the few. We cannot expect the damage of decades to be put right in a matter of months. But the drive for opportunity, justice and the rule of law and the hunger for a job and a voice are not responsible for the problems in the region. In fact, quite the opposite: the building blocks of democracy, fair economies and open societies are part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Today is not the time to turn back, but to keep the faith and to redouble our support for open societies and for people’s demands for a job and a voice. Yes, the path is challenging. But democracy is not, and never has been, simply about holding an election. It is not one person, one vote, once. Democracy is about establishing the building blocks of true democracy: the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law, with the majority prepared to defend the rights of the minority; the freedom of the media; a proper place for the army in society; and the development of effective State institutions, political parties and a wider civil society. I am not so naive as to believe that democracy alone has some magical healing power. I am a liberal Conservative, not a neo-conservative. I respect each country’s different histories and traditions.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We should never forget that for many in the world the closest relative of poverty is injustice. Development has never been just about aid or money, but I am proud that Britain is a country that keeps its promises to the poorest in our world. A year ago I stood here and argued that the Arab Spring represented an unprecedented opportunity for advancing peace, prosperity and security. One year on, some believe that the Arab Spring is in danger of becoming an Arab winter. They point to the riots on the streets, to Syria’s descent into a bloody civil war, to frustration at the lack of economic progress and to the emergence of newly elected Islamist-led Governments across the region. But I believe those people are in danger of drawing the wrong conclusion.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I am proud that this year Britain welcomed the world to the Olympic and Paralympic games and put on a great display, showing that while we may have only the twenty- second-largest population in the world, we can roll out one of its warmest welcomes. I am honoured, too, that in the coming year I have been asked to co-chair the high-level panel designed to help us build on one of the greatest achievements of the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals. Britain takes that work very seriously. I am convinced that we need to focus more than ever on the building blocks that take countries and people from poverty to prosperity. By those building blocks I mean the absence of conflict and corruption and the presence of property rights and the rule of law.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Al-Qaida and its offshoots must know that they will have no safe hiding place to plot or recruit young men to train as terrorists. But in the long term, we must defeat not only the terrorists, but the extremist ideology that feeds them. Al-Qaida’s poisonous ideology has thrived on repression. Democracy is what it fears most. People are not in Tahrir Square in Cairo and Freedom Square in Libya for an Islamist caliphate, but for a job, a voice and a future. And we must heed their call, for their freedom and for the security of us all.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“While there is never a justification for resorting to terror, if people’s hunger for a job and a voice are denied, there is a real risk that the frustration and the alienation they feel will cause them to be drawn to more violent and extremist responses. That is not just a problem for one region. It is a problem for all of us. Here, in this great city, where 10 years ago, people of 90 different nationalities were killed in the most horrific terrorist attack in history, we must recognize that political and economic reform in the Middle East is not just good in its own right, but that it is also a key part of how, in the end, we will defeat Al-Qaida. Of course, we must meet terrorist activity with a strong and resolute security response.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“So our role must be to support this, to defeat those who embrace violence, to stop the growth of settlements and to support Palestinians and Israelis alike to make peace. But the opportunity in Libya and elsewhere in the region is not just about achieving a more open society, prosperity and the building blocks of democracy for their own sake — it is about security too. Some have argued that stability in the Arab world can only be achieved by the tight control of strong authoritarian regimes and that reform is a threat to stability. In fact, the opposite is true. Reform is the basis of long-term stability. Authoritarianism threatens it.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Africa’s responsibility now is to embrace and support Libya’s new, inclusive and democratic future. And this must include ensuring that those wanted for serious crimes are brought to justice, and that the wealth stolen from the Libyan people is returned to them. We all have a responsibility to the Palestinians too. A key part of the Arab Spring is the right of Palestinians to have a viable State of their own, living 27 11-50865 in peace, alongside a safe and secure State of Israel. And I strongly support this. There has been much speculation about what will happen here this week. Let us be clear about one fact. No resolution can, on its own, substitute for the political will necessary to bring peace. Peace will only come when Palestinians and Israelis sit down and talk to each other, make compromises, build trust and agree.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“And all the countries that made promises at Gleneagles and elsewhere must meet those promises too. In the case of Britain, it means we have been able to provide £124 million of emergency aid to 3 million people facing starvation in the Horn of Africa. But at the same time, Africa must meet its responsibilities too. Many will find it hard to understand why countries in southern Africa which fought so hard to throw off oppression themselves, have been so slow to respond to the Arab Spring. Of course, I recognize that many have long been committed to non-intervention. But my argument is that where action is necessary, legal and right, to fail to act is to fail those who need our help. So it is welcome that the African Union is taking steps to recognize the National Transitional Council in Libya, as many African countries have already done.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Here at the United Nations, we have a responsibility to stand up against regimes that persecute their people. We need to see reform in Yemen. And above all, on Syria, it is time for the members of the Security Council to act. We must now adopt a credible resolution, threatening tough sanctions. Of course we should always act with care when it comes to the internal affairs of a sovereign State. But we cannot allow this to be an excuse for indifference in the face of a regime that, week after week, arrests, intimidates, tortures and kills people who are peacefully trying to make their voices heard. The voice of the African Union is vital too. Africa has rightly challenged the world to meet its aid commitments. I am proud that Britain will meet its commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income from 2013.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Now, of course, the actions we take to support the people in each country must be tailored to that country, with respect for its particular culture, history and tradition. What is right for Libya will not necessarily be right for everywhere else. But the international community has found its voice in Libya, and we must not now lose our nerve. We must have the confidence to speak out and act as necessary to support those who seek new freedoms. In the European Union, it is time to ensure that the billions of euros we spend in this region each year are used to support reform that will meet the aspirations of the people. And there should be no more excuses for denying the people of the region fair access to our markets, including in agriculture.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“And it is not only the economy where they are denied the chance to play a fuller role. It is society and politics and culture too. But look at the crowds in Freedom Square and we see it is the women too, finding their voices, showing clearly that they want to play a part in building their future. So, in this historic period, when the voice of this region is finally being heard, there is now a unique opportunity for women to fulfil their ambitions too. This is not just in the interests of women. It is in the interests of those countries as a whole. Let us be clear. You cannot build strong economies, open societies and inclusive political systems if you lock out women. So the Arab Spring will not succeed if the opportunities that are opening up are denied to half of the population.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Now the future is for the people of this region to determine, but I would urge them not to reject something they have never had — a genuine, open, fair and transparent market economy, which has proved the world over to be the best way to create jobs and wealth. And the need for economic success is vital, because this is a region where 60 per cent of the population is under 25, and youth unemployment is nearly double the world average. It is a region that must create 50 million new jobs by 2020 just to keep pace with its population; that means 700,000 new jobs every year in Egypt alone. And these jobs should not be just for men. Let us be honest. It is not just the men of the region who want a job and a voice. The unemployment rate for Egyptian women is more than three times that of men.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Across the region, some countries dependent on oil revenues, and others held back by heavy State control have failed to diversify and create jobs in productive new sectors and failed to connect themselves to the economies of the region and the wider world. 11-50865 26 Indeed, less than four per cent of North African trade is within the region, making it the least integrated neighbourhood in our world. And the promise of economic reform has not been fulfilled. Too often people were told economic reform would bring them market economies with greater freedom to start up businesses, to trade, to grow and to create wealth. But it did not. It brought them corrupt and crony capitalism.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“But let us be clear; the United Nations is no more effective than the nation States that come together to enforce its will. And on this occasion a coalition of nations across the Western and Arab world had the will to act. In doing so, they stopped Benghazi from joining Srebrenica and Rwanda in history’s painful roll call of massacres that the world failed to prevent. Today, Tripoli and Benghazi are cities transformed. Where there was fear, now there is hope and an optimism and belief that are truly inspiring. But there are challenges ahead, not just in Libya but all across the region. Economies in the region have underperformed when compared with their peers. In 1960, Egypt’s gross domestic product per capita was comparable with Korea’s. Today it has fallen to around just one fifth of the size.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“There are important lessons from what has happened in Libya. The Libyans liberated themselves. Ordinary Libyans from all walks of life came together and showed incredible resilience and bravery as they rose up and drove out Al-Qadhafi. The people of Benghazi, the brave fighters of Misurata, the people of Zawiyah, the warriors from the Nafusa Mountains, all of them showed incredible courage in liberating their country. The National Transitional Council, which demonstrated great leadership, not least as Tripoli fell, urged people to avoid reprisals and to look to the future — a message that still holds true today. That revolution truly belongs to the Libyan people. The United Nations played a vital role authorizing international action.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Participatory Government involves so much more than just the simple act of voting. The Assembly heard not long ago from President Ahmadinejad. He did not remind us that he runs a country where they may have elections, of a sort, but they also repress freedom of speech. They do everything they can to avoid the accountability of a free media. They violently prevent demonstrations. And yes, they detain and torture those who argue for a better future. So we should never pretend that having elections is enough. The building blocks of democracy have to be patiently developed from the grass roots up. The process will be different in every country. And it is not for us to dictate how Arab nations should respond to those challenges, or to lecture them about how to do it. But there is an important opportunity for us to help, and we must seize it.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Just as after 1989 we helped those who tore down the Berlin Wall to build robust democracies and market economies, just as in 1994 we welcomed South Africa back into the commonwealth of nations when it chose the path of reconciliation and democracy instead of racial conflict, so now in 2011, as people in North Africa and the Middle East stand up and give voice to their hopes for more open and democratic societies, we have an opportunity, and, I would say, a responsibility to help them. Now the mistake we often make in the West is to think that because the people in this region want democracy, they will want it in the same way and with the same outcomes that we do. We should not be trying to impose Western values or a single template on the region. Democracy is a process, not an event.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“There will be false starts and wrong turns along the way, not least where countries have inherited sectarian and regional divisions, weak political parties, State institutions enfeebled by misuse and a politics distorted by the false choice between repression on the one hand and Islamist extremism on the other. The long process of developing a new and accountable Government is just beginning. And across the region, we cannot guarantee that the process of reform is irreversible. But let us be clear. These developments present a great opportunity for many who have long been sold short by their Governments, and there is an opportunity and responsibility for all of us, too.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The United Nations has to show that we can be not just united in condemnation, but united in action, acting in a way that lives up to the United Nations founding principles and meets the needs of peoples everywhere. The peoples of the Arab world have made their aspirations clear. They want transparency and accountability of Government, an end to corruption, the fair and consistent rule of law, the chance to get a job and to have a stake in how their country is run, the freedom to communicate and the chance to participate in shaping society as citizens with rights and responsibilities. No one says that achieving those ambitions will be easy.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)