Hillary Rodham Clinton Previews the US Role vis-a-vis the UN

In preparation for the United States role in the work of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC on Friday, September 18 on US and UN relations, and President Obama's upcoming speech at the United Nations. The US is chairing the Security Council during September. Her commentary on the United Nations is refreshing for those of us who have cringed the past 8 years on the US stance toward the UN. She noted,


"As President Obama leads our U.S. delegation at this year’s General Assembly, I hope we can demonstrate that the United Nations does not have to be just a diplomatic talk shop on First Avenue. At its best, it can be an institution that brings the world’s nations together to solve global problems through adherence to rules and principles set forth in the UN charter. And it is the responsibility of the 192 member nations during the General Assembly and beyond to capitalize on the opportunity for global cooperation and progress that the United Nations affords to each of us."


Secretary Clinton's speech discusses the revamping of the Bush-era missile defense program, to counter any threats from Iran's nuclear program. She broadly discusses human rights, climate change, nuclear nonproliferation, and her leadership of a U.S. delegation to a conference on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.