The Right Move for U.S.?
Today’s national security challenges are global in nature. Threats like terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and pandemic disease respect no borders. The United Nations can help provide the global reach and influence required to respond to, or ultimately help prevent, these threats from becoming crises. A truly unique body, the UN offers us the ability to communicate and collaborate with nearly 200 countries on a breadth of issues.
Whether providing famine relief, staunching nuclear proliferation, creating arms embargoes, blocking the travel and financial support of rogue actors, establishing global standards to prevent money laundering, or curbing the spread of pandemics like Avian Flu, the UN’s work enables the United States to reap real national security benefits that advance American interests and make us safer and stronger here at home. Our economy also benefits, as the UN procures goods and services from more than 3,000 businesses across the U.S.
No doubt, U.S. contributions to the UN must be judicious and prudent: accountability, transparency, and effectiveness are essential for any organization, including the UN. At the same time, our ability to burden share with other nations helps defray costs, promote stability, and enhance the impact of our resources. Withholding U.S. funding weakens both our influence and support for our national priorities, while strengthening the hands of our adversaries.
By actively using all of the real foreign policy, national security and economic tools at our disposal, we help develop the international knowledge, capability and capacity required to help address challenges that, if left to fester, land on our doorstep. We, the undersigned Republicans and Democrats, believe that support of the UN is one of the most cost-effective ways for the U.S. to successfully address global challenges and leverage our global leadership.
Signatories
Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State 1997-2001
Howard Baker, US Senator (R-TN) 1967-85
Samuel Berger, National Security Advisor 1997-2001
General Charles Boyd, USAF (Ret.)
William Cohen, Secretary of Defense 1997-2001
John Danforth, US Senator (R-MO) 1977-95
Chuck Hagel, US Senator (R-NE) 1997-2009
Lee Hamilton, US Congressman (D-IN) 1965-99; Co-Chair, PSA Advisory Board
Gary Hart, US Senator (D-CO) 1975-87
Rita Hauser, Chair, International Peace Institute
Carla Hills, US Trade Representative 1989-93
Thomas Kean, Governor (R-NJ) 1982-90; 9/11 Commission Chair
Zalmay Khalilzad, Ambassador to the UN 2007-09
Donald McHenry, Ambassador to the UN 1979-81
George Mitchell, US Senator (D-ME) 1980-95
John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State 2007-09
Sam Nunn, US Senator (D-GA) 1972-96
William Perry, Secretary of Defense 1994-97
Thomas Pickering, Under Secretary of State 1997-2000
Bill Richardson, Ambassador to the UN 1997-98
Warren Rudman, US Senator (R-NH) 1980-92; Co-Chair, PSA Advisory Board
George Shultz, Secretary of State 1982-89
Alan Simpson, US Senator (R-WY) 1979-97
Strobe Talbott, Deputy Secretary of State 1994-2001
John W. Warner, US Senator (R-VA) 1979-2009
John Whitehead, Deputy Secretary of State 1985-88
Timothy Wirth, US Senator (D-CO) 1987-93
Frank Wisner, Under Secretary of State 1992-93
Andrew Young, Ambassador to the UN 1977-79
General Anthony Zinni, USMC (Ret.)
