Speaking at a US House Budget Committee hearing on government, foreign operations and related programs
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
US Representative to the United Nations
Washington, D.C
March 1, 2023
AS DELIVERED
Opening Address by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a US House Budget Committee hearing on government, foreign operations and related programs
[In progress] I would welcome further visits so that I can show you the importance of our role at the United Nations. For without our leadership, China, Russia and others hope to mold the United Nations – and indeed the world – in their authoritarian image.We won’t allow that under my supervision. At the United Nations, we mobilize our allies and partners to address conflict, hunger, climate change, human rights abuses and abuses, humanitarian crises and more. And we are in strategic competition, particularly with China, to ensure the implementation of the values of freedom, democracy and human rights.
Last week we marked a year since Russia’s brutal, illegal invasion of Ukraine. At the United Nations, we have isolated Russia on the world stage. Last Thursday, 141 countries voted for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Russia is weak and alone. And that resolution showed Ukraine that global support for its sovereignty and independence remains strong.
Of course, we focused equally on the rest of the world. When a disaster strikes, we mobilize the international response. For example, after the recent earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye, we pushed for two more border crossings to allow humanitarian aid to flow freely to Syrians in need. And last month, when I visited Somalia, I called on the international community to break the cycle of extreme hunger and end famine.
We do the same when human rights are abused and violated. When the Iranian regime killed peaceful protesters in the streets, we acted. Iran’s courageous activists called on us to exclude Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Iran’s presence was a blemish on the commission and we removed it. Next week, I will lead the US delegation to the Commission, where we will continue to crack down on Iran and other repressive regimes that violate women’s rights.
As part of our fight for human rights, we hosted a high-level UN event on genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. We highlighted the UN report that details China’s human rights abuses in chilling detail.
And at the UN, too, we act vigilantly against any form of hate – including anti-Semitism. A few weeks ago we hosted a special event at the UN with the Second Gentleman that focused on combating anti-Semitism. We also cited the successful passage of a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Holocaust denial, the first of its kind in 15 years.
Of course, we know that anti-Semitism is a dimension of anti-Israeli bias at the UN, and we work on that every day. We support a two-state solution and continue to urge both sides to avoid escalating measures that would further derail us from achieving that goal.
In the Security Council, we address threats to international peace and security, such as the conflict in Ethiopia, instability in Haiti, and missile launches by North Korea. And on North Korea, we’re working to enforce tough UN sanctions to make it harder for Pyongyang to build nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
We are working to hold the UN itself accountable. We actively advocate a variety of reforms to make the UN more effective, efficient, representative and credible. Our goal is to bring the UN into the 21st century while eradicating waste, fraud and abuse.
But the truth is that while we fight for our values enshrined in the UN Charter, government efforts to pay our bills in full have only been partially met by Congress. We continue to maintain high arrears and pay late; it is China’s most popular topic of conversation. If we are to maintain US leadership, we also need consistent, increased funding to recruit talented Americans into the UN system, which we are grateful that Congress has also recognized. We need your help to secure this funding and build on our successes in the multilateral arena. I am committed to ensuring that the management of our funds is fully overseen, with appropriate staffing.
Ladies and gentlemen of the committee, I have had the honor of serving our country under bipartisan presidents for almost 40 years. This moment is unique. America’s global standing is at stake. So I would like to thank you for your support and continued communication and I look forward to our discussion.
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