United States President George Bush called on Wednesday for the United Nations to be “free of corruption” and to step up the fight against terrorism four years after the September 11 attacks.
Three years after warning that the world body must back the US-led war in Iraq or be irrelevant, Bush appealed to world leaders gathered in New York for greater cooperation on Iraq, freer trade and winning the war on terrorism.
“We know that this war will not be won by force of arms alone. We must defeat the terrorists on the battlefield, and we must also defeat them in the battle of ideas,” he said in a speech to world leaders.
In subsequent remarks to the UN Security Council, Bush said the US will help train more than 40 000 African peacekeepers to “preserve justice and order in Africa”.
Bush underlined a global effort battle avian influenza and said the US is ready to scrap “all tariffs and subsidies” and other barriers to trade if other nations agree.
“This is key to overcoming poverty in the world’s poorest nations. It’s essential we promote prosperity and opportunity for all nations,” he said, explicitly linking poverty and the rise of terrorism.
Bush also thanked assembled world leaders for the outpouring of help in response to Hurricane Katrina and said sweeping UN reforms will help the world body seize the “exciting opportunity” that Saddam Hussein’s ouster provided.
“The UN must be strong and efficient, free of corruption and accountable to the people it serves. The UN must stand for integrity and live by the high standards it sets for others,” he said.
In addition to management reforms at the world body, Bush renewed Washington’s criticism of putting countries with questionable human rights records on its rights watchdog commission.
“When this great institution’s member states choose notorious abusers of human rights to sit on the UN Human Rights Commission, they discredit a noble effort and undermine the credibility of the whole organisation,” he said.
“If member countries want the UN to be respected and effective, they should begin by making sure it is worthy of respect,” said Bush.
His appeal for rock-solid UN ethics came after an investigation into the UN-run oil-for-food programme meant to ease the pain of sanctions for the people of Iraq found rampant mismanagement and corruption.
Bush also called for increased international cooperation against terrorism, as well as the “outlaw regimes” that promote it and could give extremists access to the devastating power of unconventional weapons.
Without mentioning them by name, he alluded to US complaints against countries such as Iran, Syria and North Korea, which Washington accuses of sponsoring terrorism.
“We must send a clear message to the rulers of outlaw regimes that sponsor terror and pursue weapons of mass murder: ‘You will not be allowed to threaten the peace and stability of the world,'” he said.
The UN Security Council took up on Wednesday a British proposal to outlaw incitement to terrorist acts, but Bush said more needs to be done.
“We also need to sign the conventional acts for nuclear terrorism so that all those who seek radioactive materials or nuclear devices are prosecuted and extradited wherever they are,” Bush said.
“We must complete the comprehensive convention on international terrorism that will put every nation on record: the targeting and deliberate killing by terrorists of civilians and non-combatants cannot be justified or legitimised by any cause or grievance.” — AFP