Obama urges world to stand united

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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Page last updated at 16:08 GMT, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 17:08 UK
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by Biodun Iginla, BBC News Analyst--reporting from New York City

US President Barack Obama used his first UN address to urge world unity
US President Barack Obama has said the world must face stark challenges, and the US cannot tackle them alone.
In his first speech to the UN General Assembly, he said global problems included nuclear proliferation, war, climate change and economic crisis.
But the world shared a "common future", Mr Obama said, with all nations bearing responsibility to resolve its problems.
He was followed by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who criticised the major powers on the Security Council.
Mr Gaddafi's speech, which continued for more than an hour, was his first address to the UN General Assembly during his 40 years in power.

We must build new coalitions that bridge old divides... All nations have rights and responsibilities - that's the bargain that makes this work
US President Barack Obama
UN General Assembly
Relatives of victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing protested outside the UN headquarters as Col Gaddafi was due to arrive. The Libyan convicted of the bombing was released from a Scottish prison last month.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has previously said he does not believe the Holocaust happened, is due to speak later on Wednesday.
Israel has called for a boycott of his appearance and the Germans have said they will walk out if he repeats the claim.
'Act together'
In his maiden speech to the forum of leaders from more than 120 countries, Mr Obama acknowledged the expectations that accompanied his presidency - expectations, he said, which were "not about me".

UN SPEECHES ON WEDNESDAY
1300 GMT - General debate
1330 - US President Obama
1345 - Libyan Col Gaddafi
1715 - UK Prime Minister Brown
2015 - Russian President Medvedev
2130 - Iranian President Ahmadinejad

UN Assembly: Key Issues
Big week for Obama at UN
Gaddafi protest planned
He said that when he took office, "many around the world had come to view America with scepticism and mistrust".
He said some of this was based on "misperceptions" but it was also due to "opposition to specific policies".
But "we share a common future", he said, and "no longer do we have the luxury of indulging our differences".
Mr Obama outlined "four pillars" which encapsulated the challenges facing the world: nuclear proliferation; peace and security; preservation of the planet; the global economy.
He also said "no world order which elevates one nation above others" could succeed in tackling these problems.
He outlined ways in which he said the US would act to tackle the problems, but said all nations - rich and poor - must join in.
"Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone," Mr Obama said.
"We must build new coalitions that bridge old divides... All nations have rights and responsibilities - that's the bargain that makes this work," Mr Obama said.

It shouldn't be called the Security Council, it should be called the Terror Council
Col Muammar Gaddafi
Libyan leader
The president devoted a significant proportion of his speech to the challenges of finding a peaceful settlement in the Middle East - and called for the relaunch of "negotiations without preconditions".
He said he did not underestimate the scale of that challenge, but added: "I will not waver in my pursuit of peace."
On Tuesday, at the UN's climate change summit, Mr Obama acknowledged that the US had been slow to act, but promised a "new era" of promoting clean energy and reducing carbon pollution.
Some countries may not take kindly to his words urging greater responsibility if it sounds too much like a lecture, particularly those who feel his commitments to tackle global warning were disappointing, says the BBC's Mark Mardell in New York.
'Terror Council'
Following Mr Obama, Libya's President Gaddafi fiercely criticised the current power structure of the United Nations, which he said was outdated and unfair, concentrating power unevenly.
Clutching a copy of the preamble to the UN Charter, he said: "It says nations are equal whether they are small or big - are we equal in the permanent seats? No, we are not equal. Do we have the rights of the veto?…
"Sixty-five wars broke out after the establishment of the United Nations - are these wars and the aggressions in the interest of all nations? No, they were in the interest of four or five countries."
Later, Mr Gaddafi said democracy should not be a luxury for the rich or more powerful.
"All nations should have an equal footing. For those who have a permanent seat, this is political feudalism. It shouldn't be called the Security Council, it should be called the Terror Council."
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opened Wednesday's proceedings by telling the assembled leaders: "Now is the time to put the 'united' back into the United Nations".

SPEAKER PROTOCOL
By tradition dating back to the UN's infancy in the late 1940s, Brazil speaks first after the secretary general opens proceedings
The US, as host country, speaks second
Subsequent speakers are chosen on a first-come, first-served basis
Protocol order is followed: heads of state; heads of government; crown princes; deputy prime ministers; ministers; permanent representatives
However, the order can change up till the last moment
He outlined problems facing the world - including "catastrophic climate change", the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the global economic crisis - and said the world was looking to the UN for answers.
"We must act for all nations and all people. So much is possible if we work together. We are the UN, the best hope for humankind, and now is our time," Mr Ban said.
The order of the speeches is based on protocol, with some flexibility.
A UN spokeswoman described it as a "challenging and meticulous" task to decide the order.
There is an agreed hierarchy - with heads of state coming before heads of government and crown princes.
But exceptions are made - this time UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown will speak before China's head of state, President Hu Jintao.
Did you watch the President's speech? Does the United Nations still have a purpose? Send us your views using the form below. You can also send your views on video.
Send your videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk. If you have a large file you can upload here.
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Posted by BiodunIginla at 5:37 PM Labels: biodun iginla bbc news. obama administration, united nations general assembly

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