徐一彤、昌西、庄巧祎、陆晨/译，译文转自：Most资讯

秘书长先生，总统先生，各国领导人们，及尊敬的代表们，欢迎来到纽约。能够在我的家乡，代表美国人民，与世界人民对话，我倍感荣幸。

目前，依然有数百万美国人民在持续遭受飓风带来的灾难。在此我感谢每一位在场的为美国提供援助及便利的各国领导人们。美国人民顽强坚韧，将会在这样的困难面前，变得无比坚定。

幸运的是，美国自去年11月8日大选以来表现非常良好。证券市场达到创纪录的新高，失业率16年来最低，因为我们进行的监管与其他方面的改革，现在美国的工作人口比以往任何时候更多。企业正在搬回，创造就业增长，这是美国很久未曾见过的。我们还刚刚宣布将花费7000亿美元投入到军队与国防。

很快，我们的军队将变得前所未有的强大。70多年来，无论战争与和平，不同国家、运动与宗教的领袖都曾站在联合国大会面前。和他们一样，我谨希望发言指出一些我们正面临的严峻威胁，还有国际社会有待释放的巨大潜力。

我们生活在一个有着空前机遇的时代。科技和医药的突破帮助我们治疗了前代未能治疗的疾病，解决了前代未能解决的难题。

每天都带来新的与日俱增的危险，威胁着我们珍视的一切。恐怖分子、极端分子力量不断增强，散布到地球上的每个地区。在联合国里有着代表席位的流氓政权，不仅支持恐怖主义，也挟人类社会目前所知破坏性最大的武器，威胁着其他国家和他们自己的国民。

一些威权政府企图瓦解二战以来在全世界平息冲突、倡导自由的联盟、制度和价值观。国际犯罪网络贩运毒品、武器、人口，使人们被迫离开故土、大规模移民，威胁着我们的边境，新形式的犯罪利用科技手段将我们的公民置于其阴影之下。

简而言之，这场大会既面临美好的愿景，也面临严峻的危险。到底是带领世界走上新高峰，还是让世界坠入绝望的深谷，全在我们的把握之中。我们有能力，也应该选择把数以百万计的人民从贫困中拯救出来，帮助我们的公民实现他们的梦想，保证下一代能在没有暴力，仇恨和恐惧的环境中成长。

联合国建立在两次世界大战之后，旨在塑造这个更美好的未来。它建立的基础信念在于不同的国族可以互相合作保护主权，保障安全，共同繁荣。

正好70年以前，美国提出了马歇尔计划，帮助欧洲实现了复兴。这些美妙的基石，构成了和平，主权，安全和繁荣的柱础。

马歇尔计划的基础是一个高贵的信念，这一信念相信如果各国族强大了、独立了、自由了，整个世界就会更安全。正如杜鲁门总统当时对国会所说的那样，“我们对欧洲复兴的支持与我们对联合国的支持完全吻合。联合国的成功取决于其各成员国独自的实力。”

要想克服当代的恐惧，实现未来的愿景，我们首先必须师法故智。我们的成功取决于由强大而独立的国族组成的联盟，这一联盟保护各国族的主权，促进安全，繁荣与和平，无论是对各国族自身，还是对整个世界。

强大的主权民族国家让它们的人民掌握自己的未来和命运。强大的主权民族国家允许个人按照上帝的意志充分发展。

在美国，我们不希望将自己的生活方式强加于任何人，只是让它自然发光发亮，成为所有人瞩目的模范。本周我们有了一个可以为此值得自豪的理由。我们正在庆祝我们国家宪法的第230周年—— 这一当今世界上仍在使用的最古老的宪法。

这份历久弥新的文件一直是美国和平、繁荣、自由的基础，也因为它对于人性、人类尊严和法治的尊重，激励了全世界各国的亿万民众。

美国宪法最伟大之处在于其前四个字，那就是“我们人民”。

祖祖辈辈的美国人前赴后继，用牺牲维护了这四个字，这是我们国家和我们伟大历史的承诺。在美国，人民来统治，人民来支配，人民掌握主权。我不是被选举来夺取权力，而是来把权力还给本应掌握权力的美国人民。

在外交事务上，我们正在复兴这一主权的基础原则。我们政府的第一要务是为人民服务，为公民服务，满足他们的需求，保障他们的安全，保证他们的权利，捍卫他们的价值观。

作为美利坚合众国总统，我将永远把美国放在第一位。就和你们一样，你们是世界各国的领袖，你们也会，也应该永远把自己的国家放在第一位。(鼓掌)

所有负责任的领袖都有义务为他们的公民服务，民族国家仍然是改善人类生活状况的最佳组织形式。

但改善各国人民生活需要我们共同努力，和谐一心，为所有民族创造一个更加安全和平的未来。

美利坚合众国将永远是全世界的好朋友，尤其对我们的盟友。但我们不能再被占便宜，签订单方面受惠的条约，独留美国利益没有得到回报。只要我还主持白宫，我将捍卫美国利益胜过一切。

但在履行我们对国民的义务时，我们也认识到一个世界各国民族主权独立、繁荣安定的未来符合所有人的利益。

美国对联合国宪章中所表达的价值付出的行动远多于支持的言辞。我们的国民付出了最高的代价，捍卫了我们在这个大厅中代表的许多国家的自由。美国的奉献精神是用那些在战场上与盟友一道奋战并牺牲的年轻男性和女性来衡量的，从欧洲的海岸，到中东的沙漠，到亚洲的丛林。

即便我们和我们的盟友在史上最血腥的战争中取得了胜利，我们也没有寻求任何领土扩张，或是将我们的生活方式强加于人，这是美国精神永远的信誉保障。恰恰相反，我们帮助建立了诸如联合国这样的制度，以保护所有国家的主权，安全和繁荣。

对全世界各不相同的国族，这是我们的希望。我们希望和平与友谊，而非冲突与争执。我们追求好的结果，不被意识形态束缚。我们的政策是有原则的现实主义，植根于共同的目标，利益和价值观。

这一现实主义迫使我们应对在座每个国家的领导人都必须面对、且无法逃避的问题。我们是要滑入自满的道路，对面前的挑战、威胁乃至战争麻木不仁，还是奋起足够的力量与荣誉感，去面对当今世界的危险因素，好让我们的公民在明天享受和平与繁荣？

如果我们希望激励我们的公民，如果我们渴望获得历史的认可，那么我们必须为我们所代表的人们履行我们的责任和义务。我们必须保护我们的国家、它的利益和它的未来。我们必须拒绝乌克兰问题与中国南海问题对国家主权所带来的威胁。我们必须维护法治，尊重领土边界问题，尊重文化并维护已达成的和平条约。正如联合国的创始人们所希望的，我们必须共同努力，共同应对那些用混乱、动荡和恐怖威胁我们的人。

我们星球的苦难源于一些小国政权正在践踏联合国的所有根本原则。他们既不尊重自己的国民，也不尊重其他国家的主权。

如果好人不挺身而出，即便少数的邪恶也将得胜利。当遵守规则的民族与国家对历史的危机袖手旁观，破坏性的力量只会越发壮大。

没有哪个政权比邪恶的朝鲜更视他国主权与本国国民利益如草芥。它要为成千上万饿死的朝鲜人，以及监禁、折磨、杀戮和数不清的压迫负责。我们都见证了朝鲜对无辜的美国大学生Otto Warmbier致命的虐待，他在回到美国几天后就去世了。

我们能从独裁者用被禁止的神经毒剂在国际机场暗杀亲兄长的行径中看出朝鲜的邪恶本性。我们也能从其在日本海边绑架一名13岁日本少女、并将其奴役为一名间谍机关的日语教员的行径中看出朝鲜的邪恶本性。

如果这还不够邪恶，现在朝鲜开发核武器与弹道导弹的行为将对整个世界造成威胁，有可能令不可计数的人类失去生命。

有些国家不但与这种政权进行贸易，还在武装、供给、乃至从财政上支持这个威胁全世界以核战争的国家，这是不可理喻的。没有一个国家会想看到这些罪犯用核武器和导弹武装自己。

美国有强大的力量和耐心，但如果被迫保卫自己或盟友，美国将不得不选择彻底摧毁北朝鲜。火箭男(金正恩)正在把他自己和他的政权送上自杀之路。 美国已经准备好，有意愿也有能力，但希望这不是必要的。这也是联合国存在的意义所在。让我们看看他们怎么做。

是时候让朝鲜认识到无核化是未来唯一可接受的出路了。联合国安理会最近进行了两场15-0的投票，全票通过了针对朝鲜的强硬决议，我为此感谢中国和俄罗斯参与投票，和安理会其他成员国一道支持对朝鲜施加制裁。感谢所有参与的国家。

但我们应做的多得多。现在所有国家需要共同合作来孤立金正恩政权直到其停止敌对行为为止。

我们不仅在北朝鲜问题上面临这个抉择，在很久之前，世界各国就曾面对过另一个一意孤行的政权，它曾公然进行大规模杀戮、誓言美国必亡、毁灭以色列、毁灭这个会议室中的许多国家及其领导人。

伊朗政府用一个虚假的民主来掩盖贪污的独裁政权。它将一个富饶、拥有丰富历史和文化的国家，变成了一个流氓政府，向外输出暴力、流血和混乱。伊朗内部受害最长时间的受害者们，是它自己的民众。

伊朗没有用本国的资源改善民生，而是用石油收入资助真主党和其他恐怖组织杀戮无辜的穆斯林，攻击和平的阿拉伯与以色列邻国。这一应当归属以伊朗人民的财富也被用来支撑巴沙尔·阿萨德的独裁政权，煽动也门内战，在全中东破坏和平。

我们不能允许这个杀人政权一边开发危险导弹、一边继续这些破坏秩序的行径，如果《伊朗核框架协议》只是为伊朗最终发展核武器计划作掩护，我们就不能遵守这一协议。(鼓掌)

《伊朗核框架协议》是美国历史上最差的及最单边受益的条约。坦白来说，这是美国的耻辱。但相信我，这还不是最糟的。

是时候让整个世界与我们一道，要求伊朗政府停止追求死亡和破坏了。是时候让这个政权释放所有被其非法拘押的美国与他国公民了。最重要的是，伊朗政府必须停止赞助恐怖分子，为本国人民服务，尊重邻国的主权。

伊朗当局对恐怖分子的赞助与很多邻国在近期作出的打击恐怖主义、切断恐怖分子财路的投入形成鲜明对比。今年早些时候，我在沙特阿拉伯有幸向超过50个阿拉伯与穆斯林国家发表讲话。我们同意所有责任相关国家必须共同努力，对抗恐怖分子和驱动恐怖分子的伊斯兰极端主义。

我们将杜绝激进的伊斯兰恐怖主义，因为我们不能允许它撕毁我们的国家，撕毁整个世界。

我们必须清除恐怖分子的庇护所，禁止他们过境、禁止为他们提供资金，或提供任何其他形式对于恐怖分子及其意识形态的支持。我们必须把他们赶出我们的国家。现在是那些支持和资助基地组织、真主党、塔利班等滥杀无辜平民的恐怖组织的国家站出来负责任的时候了。

美国和我们的盟友正在整个中东地区一起努力消灭恐怖分子，并阻止其庇护所死灰复燃，以免其重新对我们所有国家发起袭击。

上个月我刚宣布了为成功在阿富汗打击恐怖分子的新战略。从现在开始，我们将根据我们的安全利益决定军事行动的长度与规模，而非由政治家武断的时间表决定。

另外，我也完全改变了我们在打击塔利班以及其他恐怖分子过程中的交战规则。在叙利亚和伊拉克，我们已经在击败ISIS的战线上取得重大战果。实际上，我国在最近八个月对ISIS取得的战果超过之前数年的总和。

我们寻求缓解叙利亚的冲突，通过一个尊重叙利亚民意的方案进行政治解决。巴沙尔·阿萨德罪恶政权的行径，包括其对本国公民、乃至无辜儿童使用化学武器的行径，令每一个有良知的人类发指。如果违禁化学武器被允许传播，任何社会都不得安宁。这就是为什么美国对发起化武袭击的叙利亚空军基地进行了导弹空袭。

我们感谢联合国有关机构为从ISIS手中解放的地图提供重要的人道主义援助的努力，尤其感谢约旦、土耳其和黎巴嫩在安置叙利亚难民问题上发挥的作用。

美国是一个宽容的国家，已经花费数十亿美元支持他们安置难民的努力。我们寻求一个可以帮助难民最终回归祖国参与重建的难民安置方案。

在美国，每安置一名难民的成本，可以用来救助10名当地人。出于我们内心的善意，我们为动乱地区的难民母国提供财政支持，我们也支持最近G20国家关于难民就近安置的协议。这才是一个安全的，负责任的，人道的解决方案。

在过去的数十年内，美国一直在试图解决西半球内来自移民的挑战。我们了解到长期没有控制的迁徙对迁出与迁入国都十分不公。

对于迁出国来说，这减少了国内的政治经济改革压力，造成了国家的人力资本流失。

对于迁入国来说，应对迁入国内的移民所需要支出的成本十分昂贵。这些低收入的人们，往往被媒体与政府遗忘。

我想向联合国针对难民做出的努力致敬。联合国及非洲联盟领导了维和任务，为非洲的地区稳定做出了价值非凡的贡献。美国对人道主义援助，包括对南苏丹、索马里、尼日利亚北部、及也门的饥荒的预防及解救做出持续贡献。

我们通过一系列投资改善发展中国家的健康状况，包括总统防治艾滋病紧急救援计划(PEPFAR)资助艾滋病防治；总统疟疾防治倡议；全球健康安全日程；全球打击奴役基金，与女性企业家财务倡议，这是我们为全球女性赋权的一部分。

我们同时感谢(掌声)，我们同时感谢秘书长对联合国改革必要性的承认。只有改革，才会使得联合国有效地对抗对主权、安全、及繁荣的威胁。这个组织太过受制于官僚体系及颟顸的程序，而非专注于结果。

在一些情况下，有些国家甚至试图颠覆联合国的伟大愿景，绑架了这个系统。例如，在我们的人权理事会当中，居然会有那些人权记录十分恶劣的国家。这是联合国的耻辱。例如，一些人权纪录恶劣的国家政府位列联合国人权理事会，这就是联合国巨大的耻辱。

美国是联合国193个成员国之一。但我们却承担着超过22%的总预算。实际上，我们支付的费用比任何人想象地都要多。美国承担了十分不公平的负担，但公平地说，如果联合国能够完成其期望完成的目标，那么这些投资还是值得的。

世界上许多地区仍然陷入武装冲突，而有些地方已经沦为人间地狱。但在这间会议室内的大人物们，在与联合国的积极协作下，能够解决许多复杂且严重的问题。

美国人民希望，联合国能够更加负责任地、有效地向世界宣扬人类尊严及自由。同时，我相信，任何国家都不应在军事或财政上承受不成比例的负担。世界各国需要在维系世界的安全稳定上承担起更大的责任。

这就是为什么在西半球，美国将极力反对破坏地区稳定、压迫古巴人民的的古巴政权。本届美国政府近期宣布，在古巴根本性地改革其体制之前，不会对古巴解除制裁。

我们也对委内瑞拉的马杜罗政权施行了制裁，这个社会主义者将这个一度繁荣的国家拖到全面崩溃的边缘。

更糟糕的是，马杜罗已经背叛了委内瑞拉人民，从人民手中窃取权力，以维系他灾难般的统治。

委内瑞拉人民正饱受疾苦，而他们的国家也摇摇欲坠。他们的民主体制被摧毁，这样的情景让人不可接受，而我们更不会坐视不管。

作为负责任的邻国及友邦，我们都有一个共同的目标：为他们重获自由，重建国家，重塑民主。在此，我对向委内瑞拉人民提供支持，谴责委内瑞拉当局的各国领导人表示感谢。

美国将会竭尽一切努力使得这些政权对其公民负责。如若委内瑞拉一意孤行，对委内瑞拉人民实施威权统治。我们已准备好采取下一步行动。

我们很荣幸，能够与诸多拉丁美洲国家保持紧密良好的贸易关系。我们的贸易联系促使了国与国间的和平、及地区和平。

在美国，我们诚挚期望能够与各国继续保持紧密的商贸关系。但我们之间的贸易必须要平等，也必须要互惠。

美国人民一直被告知，称这些巨大的跨国贸易，无责任的国际法庭，及全球化的官僚体系是使得他们成功的最佳途径。但这些承诺却是虚假的，数以百万计的工作机会从美国消失，数以千计的工厂迁走。在全球化贸易中，有些人操纵这个系统，破坏游戏规则，使得我们伟大的、缔造了美国荣耀的中产阶级，被遗忘、被落下。但他们从此再也不会被遗忘。

美国会积极寻求与其他国家的合作与贸易，但我们也重申每一个政府的首要职责：对公民负责。这是使得美国强大的原因，也是每一个国家对本国公民应尽的责任。

如果联合国组织能够面对我们目前遇到的挑战，一定是依靠杜鲁门总统70年前提到的，我们各个成员国独自的力量。如果我们要共同面对今日的危险、迎接明天的机遇，我们必须依靠强大且独立的主权国家——它们植根于历史，致力于自身的命运；寻求盟友，而非侵略与敌对；最重要的是，它们是爱国者的家园，所有愿意为国家和同胞奉献的人们的家园，人类一切最好精神品质的家园。

当我们怀念人类历史上取得的伟大胜利时，我们不能忘记那些与邪恶斗争的英雄，为也是在为他们所爱的国家而战。

爱国主义让波兰人为包围波兰而抛头颅洒热血，让法国人为自由的法国而战斗，让英国人坚守不列颠。

今天，如果我们不能将我们的身心奉献给我们各自的伟大国家；如果我们不能建立起坚实的家庭，安全的社区，健康的社会，也不会有人能够替我们完成这些任务。

我们不能等别人来做这些，无论是他国的介入还是高高在上的官僚——我们必须自力更生，打造我们的繁荣，抓住我们的未来，否则我们就难免衰落，被支配，被打败。

今天联合国与全世界所有希望给自己和后人以美好生活的人们所面对的问题，是非常基本的：我们还是爱国者么？我们是否仍足够爱国，以保护国家的主权并把握住它们的未来？我们是否足够尊崇我们的国家，以保护它们的利益，保存它们的文化传承，并为国民确保一个和平的世界？

一位最伟大的美国爱国者约翰·亚当斯曾就美国革命如是写道，“早在独立战争爆发以前，革命已存于人民的心灵之中。”

正是在那个瞬间，美利坚觉醒了，我们环顾四周，认识到自己是一个国族。我们认识到了我们是谁，我们珍视什么，我们要豁出性命保卫什么。正是从这一刻起，美国的故事就是一个人们掌握未来的故事，一个关于可能性的故事。

美利坚合众国是历史上最强有力的向善的力量之一，也是对所有国家的主权，安全和繁荣最有力的保护者之一。

现在，我们呼吁所有国族共同走向伟大的觉醒，复兴民族精神，民族荣誉，让人民振作起来，弘扬爱国主义。

历史将考验我们能否承担重任。我们将以重申的意志，重振的决心和重生的奉献精神应对。我们需要打败人类之敌，释放生命自身的潜能。

我们希望世界各国能自豪而独立，遵守责任，寻求友谊，互相尊重，在我们所有人的最大的共同利益面前同舟共济：给美丽地球上的所有人以一个和平而有尊严的未来。

这是联合国的真正愿景，是每个民族的最古老的愿景，也是每个神圣的灵魂最深处的呼唤。

就让这成为我们的使命吧，让这成为我们对这个世界的讯息吧：我们将共同战斗，共同奉献，共同追求和平、自由、正义，为家庭，为人类，为创造了万物的全能的上帝。感谢你们，上帝保佑你们，上帝保佑世界，上帝保佑美国。非常感谢！(掌声)

Remarks by President Trump to the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly

United Nations, New York, New York

September 19, 2017

Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, world leaders, and distinguished delegates: 

Welcome to New York. It is a profound honor to stand here in my home city, as a representative of the American people, to address the people of the world.

As millions of our citizens continue to suffer the effects of the devastating hurricanes that have struck our country, I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to every leader in this room who has offered assistance and aid. The American people are strong and resilient, and they will emerge from these hardships more determined than ever before.

Fortunately, the United States has done very well since Election Day last November 8th.  The stock market is at an all-time high – a record. Unemployment is at its lowest level in 16 years, and because of our regulatory and other reforms, we have more people working in the United States today than ever before. Companies are moving back, creating job growth the likes of which our country has not seen in a very long time. And it has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defense. 

Our military will soon be the strongest it has ever been. For more than 70 years, in times of war and peace, the leaders of nations, movements, and religions have stood before this assembly.  Like them, I intend to address some of the very serious threats before us today but also the enormous potential waiting to be unleashed. 

We live in a time of extraordinary opportunity. Breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine are curing illnesses and solving problems that prior generations thought impossible to solve. 

But each day also brings news of growing dangers that threaten everything we cherish and value. Terrorists and extremists have gathered strength and spread to every region of the planet.  Rogue regimes represented in this body not only support terrorists but threaten other nations and their own people with the most destructive weapons known to humanity. 

Authority and authoritarian powers seek to collapse the values, the systems, and alliances that prevented conflict and tilted the world toward freedom since World War II.   

International criminal networks traffic drugs, weapons, people; force dislocation and mass migration; threaten our borders; and new forms of aggression exploit technology to menace our citizens.

To put it simply, we meet at a time of both of immense promise and great peril. It is entirely up to us whether we lift the world to new heights, or let it fall into a valley of disrepair.

We have it in our power, should we so choose, to lift millions from poverty, to help our citizens realize their dreams, and to ensure that new generations of children are raised free from violence, hatred, and fear.

This institution was founded in the aftermath of two world wars to help shape this better future. It was based on the vision that diverse nations could cooperate to protect their sovereignty, preserve their security, and promote their prosperity.

It was in the same period, exactly 70 years ago, that the United States developed the Marshall Planto help restore Europe. Those three beautiful pillars – they’re pillars of peace, sovereignty, security, and prosperity.

The Marshall Plan was built on the noble idea that the whole world is safer when nations are strong, independent, and free. As President Truman said in his message to Congress at that time, “Our support of European recovery is in full accord with our support of the United Nations. The success of the United Nations depends upon the independent strength of its members.”

To overcome the perils of the present and to achieve the promise of the future, we must begin with the wisdom of the past. Our success depends on a coalition of strong and independent nations that embrace their sovereignty to promote security, prosperity, and peace for themselves and for the world.

We do not expect diverse countries to share the same cultures, traditions, or even systems of government. But we do expect all nations to uphold these two core sovereign duties: to respect the interests of their own people and the rights of every other sovereign nation. This is the beautiful vision of this institution, and this is foundation for cooperation and success.

Strong, sovereign nations let diverse countries with different values, different cultures, and different dreams not just coexist, but work side by side on the basis of mutual respect.

Strong, sovereign nations let their people take ownership of the future and control their own destiny. And strong, sovereign nations allow individuals to flourish in the fullness of the life intended by God.

In America, we do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to watch. This week gives our country a special reason to take pride in that example. We are celebrating the 230th anniversary of our beloved Constitution – the oldest constitution still in use in the world today.

This timeless document has been the foundation of peace, prosperity, and freedom for the Americans and for countless millions around the globe whose own countries have found inspiration in its respect for human nature, human dignity, and the rule of law.

The greatest in the United States Constitution is its first three beautiful words. They are: “We the people.”

Generations of Americans have sacrificed to maintain the promise of those words, the promise of our country, and of our great history. In America, the people govern, the people rule, and the people are sovereign.  I was elected not to take power, but to give power to the American people, where it belongs.

In foreign affairs, we are renewing this founding principle of sovereignty. Our government’s first duty is to its people, to our citizens – to serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values.

As President of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first.

All responsible leaders have an obligation to serve their own citizens, and the nation-state remains the best vehicle for elevating the human condition. 

But making a better life for our people also requires us to work together in close harmony and unity to create a more safe and peaceful future for all people.

The United States will forever be a great friend to the world, and especially to its allies. But we can no longer be taken advantage of, or enter into a one-sided deal where the United States gets nothing in return. As long as I hold this office, I will defend America’s interests above all else.

But in fulfilling our obligations to our own nations, we also realize that it’s in everyone’s interest to seek a future where all nations can be sovereign, prosperous, and secure.

America does more than speak for the values expressed in the United Nations Charter. Our citizens have paid the ultimate price to defend our freedom and the freedom of many nations represented in this great hall. America’s devotion is measured on the battlefields where our young men and women have fought and sacrificed alongside of our allies, from the beaches of Europe to the deserts of the Middle East to the jungles of Asia.

It is an eternal credit to the American character that even after we and our allies emerged victorious from the bloodiest war in history, we did not seek territorial expansion, or attempt to oppose and impose our way of life on others. Instead, we helped build institutions such as this one to defend the sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all.

For the diverse nations of the world, this is our hope. We want harmony and friendship, not conflict and strife.  We are guided by outcomes, not ideology. We have a policy of principled realism, rooted in shared goals, interests, and values.

That realism forces us to confront a question facing every leader and nation in this room. It is a question we cannot escape or avoid. We will slide down the path of complacency, numb to the challenges, threats, and even wars that we face. Or do we have enough strength and pride to confront those dangers today, so that our citizens can enjoy peace and prosperity tomorrow?

If we desire to lift up our citizens, if we aspire to the approval of history, then we must fulfill our sovereign duties to the people we faithfully represent. We must protect our nations, their interests, and their futures. We must reject threats to sovereignty, from the Ukraine to the South China Sea. We must uphold respect for law, respect for borders, and respect for culture, and the peaceful engagement these allow. And just as the founders of this body intended, we must work together and confront together those who threaten us with chaos, turmoil, and terror.

The scourge of our planet today is a small group of rogue regimes that violate every principle on which the United Nations is based. They respect neither their own citizens nor the sovereign rights of their countries.

If the righteous many do not confront the wicked few, then evil will triumph. When decent people and nations become bystanders to history, the forces of destruction only gather power and strength.

No one has shown more contempt for other nations and for the wellbeing of their own people than the depraved regime in North Korea. It is responsible for the starvation deaths of millions of North Koreans, and for the imprisonment, torture, killing, and oppression of countless more.

We were all witness to the regime’s deadly abuse when an innocent American college student, Otto Warmbier, was returned to America only to die a few days later. We saw it in the assassination of the dictator’s brother using banned nerve agents in an international airport. We know it kidnapped a sweet 13-year-old Japanese girl from a beach in her own country to enslave her as a language tutor for North Korea’s spies.

If this is not twisted enough, now North Korea’s reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life. 

It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade with such a regime, but would arm, supply, and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict. No nation on earth has an interest in seeing this band of criminals arm itself with nuclear weapons and missiles.

The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That’s what the United Nations is all about; that’s what the United Nations is for. Let’s see how they do.

It is time for North Korea to realize that the denuclearization is its only acceptable future. The United Nations Security Council recently held two unanimous 15-0 votes adopting hard-hitting resolutions against North Korea, and I want to thank China and Russia for joining the vote to impose sanctions, along with all of the other members of the Security Council. Thank you to all involved.

But we must do much more. It is time for all nations to work together to isolate the Kim regime until it ceases its hostile behavior.

We face this decision not only in North Korea. It is far past time for the nations of the world to confront another reckless regime – one that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing death to America, destruction to Israel, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy.  It has turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos. The longest-suffering victims of Iran’s leaders are, in fact, its own people.

Rather than use its resources to improve Iranian lives, its oil profits go to fund Hezbollah and other terrorists that kill innocent Muslims and attack their peaceful Arab and Israeli neighbors.  This wealth, which rightly belongs to Iran’s people, also goes to shore up Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship, fuel Yemen’s civil war, and undermine peace throughout the entire Middle East.

We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program. The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it – believe me. 

It is time for the entire world to join us in demanding that Iran’s government end its pursuit of death and destruction.  It is time for the regime to free all Americans and citizens of other nations that they have unjustly detained. And above all, Iran’s government must stop supporting terrorists, begin serving its own people, and respect the sovereign rights of its neighbors.

The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most.  This is what causes the regime to restrict Internet access, tear down satellite dishes, shoot unarmed student protestors, and imprison political reformers.

Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice.  Will they continue down the path of poverty, bloodshed, and terror?  Or will the Iranian people return to the nation’s proud roots as a center of civilization, culture, and wealth where their people can be happy and prosperous once again?

The Iranian regime’s support for terror is in stark contrast to the recent commitments of many of its neighbors to fight terrorism and halt its financing.

In Saudi Arabia early last year, I was greatly honored to address the leaders of more than 50 Arab and Muslim nations. We agreed that all responsible nations must work together to confront terrorists and the Islamist extremism that inspires them.

We will stop radical Islamic terrorism because we cannot allow it to tear up our nation, and indeed to tear up the entire world.

We must deny the terrorists safe haven, transit, funding, and any form of support for their vile and sinister ideology. We must drive them out of our nations. It is time to expose and hold responsible those countries who support and finance terror groups like al Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban and others that slaughter innocent people.

The United States and our allies are working together throughout the Middle East to crush the loser terrorists and stop the reemergence of safe havens they use to launch attacks on all of our people.

Last month, I announced a new strategy for victory in the fight against this evil in Afghanistan. From now on, our security interests will dictate the length and scope of military operations, not arbitrary benchmarks and timetables set up by politicians.

I have also totally changed the rules of engagement in our fight against the Taliban and other terrorist groups. In Syria and Iraq, we have made big gains toward lasting defeat of ISIS. In fact, our country has achieved more against ISIS in the last eight months than it has in many, many years combined. 

We seek the de-escalation of the Syrian conflict, and a political solution that honors the will of the Syrian people. The actions of the criminal regime of Bashar al-Assad, including the use of chemical weapons against his own citizens – even innocent children – shock the conscience of every decent person. No society can be safe if banned chemical weapons are allowed to spread.  That is why the United States carried out a missile strike on the airbase that launched the attack.

We appreciate the efforts of United Nations agencies that are providing vital humanitarian assistance in areas liberated from ISIS, and we especially thank Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees from the Syrian conflict. 

The United States is a compassionate nation and has spent billions and billions of dollars in helping to support this effort. We seek an approach to refugee resettlement that is designed to help these horribly treated people, and which enables their eventual return to their home countries, to be part of the rebuilding process.

For the cost of resettling one refugee in the United States, we can assist more than 10 in their home region. Out of the goodness of our hearts, we offer financial assistance to hosting countries in the region, and we support recent agreements of the G20 nations that will seek to host refugees as close to their home countries as possible. This is the safe, responsible, and humanitarian approach.

For decades, the United States has dealt with migration challenges here in the Western Hemisphere. We have learned that, over the long term, uncontrolled migration is deeply unfair to both the sending and the receiving countries.

For the sending countries, it reduces domestic pressure to pursue needed political and economic reform, and drains them of the human capital necessary to motivate and implement those reforms.

For the receiving countries, the substantial costs of uncontrolled migration are borne overwhelmingly by low-income citizens whose concerns are often ignored by both media and government.

I want to salute the work of the United Nations in seeking to address the problems that cause people to flee from their homes. The United Nations and African Union led peacekeeping missions to have invaluable contributions in stabilizing conflicts in Africa. The United States continues to lead the world in humanitarian assistance, including famine prevention and relief in South Sudan, Somalia, and northern Nigeria and Yemen. 

We have invested in better health and opportunity all over the world through programs like PEPFAR, which funds AIDS relief; the President’s Malaria Initiative; the Global Health Security Agenda; the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery; and the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, part of our commitment to empowering women all across the globe.

We also thank – we also thank the Secretary General for recognizing that the United Nations must reform if it is to be an effective partner in confronting threats to sovereignty, security, and prosperity. Too often the focus of this organization has not been on results, but on bureaucracy and process.

In some cases, states that seek to subvert this institution’s noble aims have hijacked the very systems that are supposed to advance them. For example, it is a massive source of embarrassment to the United Nations that some governments with egregious human rights records sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The United States is one out of 193 countries in the United Nations, and yet we pay 22 percent of the entire budget and more. In fact, we pay far more than anybody realizes. The United States bears an unfair cost burden, but, to be fair, if it could actually accomplish all of its stated goals, especially the goal of peace, this investment would easily be well worth it.

Major portions of the world are in conflict and some, in fact, are going to hell. But the powerful people in this room, under the guidance and auspices of the United Nations, can solve many of these vicious and complex problems.

The American people hope that one day soon the United Nations can be a much more accountable and effective advocate for human dignity and freedom around the world. In the meantime, we believe that no nation should have to bear a disproportionate share of the burden, militarily or financially. Nations of the world must take a greater role in promoting secure and prosperous societies in their own regions.

That is why in the Western Hemisphere, the United States has stood against the corrupt and destabilizing regime in Cuba and embraced the enduring dream of the Cuban people to live in freedom. My administration recently announced that we will not lift sanctions on the Cuban government until it makes fundamental reforms.

We have also imposed tough, calibrated sanctions on the socialist Maduro regime in Venezuela, which has brought a once thriving nation to the brink of total collapse.

The socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro has inflicted terrible pain and suffering on the good people of that country. This corrupt regime destroyed a prosperous nation by imposing a failed ideology that has produced poverty and misery everywhere it has been tried. To make matters worse, Maduro has defied his own people, stealing power from their elected representatives to preserve his disastrous rule.

The Venezuelan people are starving and their country is collapsing. Their democratic institutions are being destroyed. This situation is completely unacceptable and we cannot stand by and watch.

As a responsible neighbor and friend, we and all others have a goal. That goal is to help them regain their freedom, recover their country, and restore their democracy. I would like to thank leaders in this room for condemning the regime and providing vital support to the Venezuelan people.

The United States has taken important steps to hold the regime accountable. We are prepared to take further action if the government of Venezuela persists on its path to impose authoritarian rule on the Venezuelan people.

We are fortunate to have incredibly strong and healthy trade relationships with many of the Latin American countries gathered here today. Our economic bond forms a critical foundation for advancing peace and prosperity for all of our people and all of our neighbors.

I ask every country represented here today to be prepared to do more to address this very real crisis. We call for the full restoration of democracy and political freedoms in Venezuela.

The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems.

America stands with every person living under a brutal regime. Our respect for sovereignty is also a call for action. All people deserve a government that cares for their safety, their interests, and their wellbeing, including their prosperity.

In America, we seek stronger ties of business and trade with all nations of good will, but this trade must be fair and it must be reciprocal.

For too long, the American people were told that mammoth multinational trade deals, unaccountable international tribunals, and powerful global bureaucracies were the best way to promote their success. But as those promises flowed, millions of jobs vanished and thousands of factories disappeared. Others gamed the system and broke the rules. And our great middle class, once the bedrock of American prosperity, was forgotten and left behind, but they are forgotten no more and they will never be forgotten again. 

While America will pursue cooperation and commerce with other nations, we are renewing our commitment to the first duty of every government: the duty of our citizens. This bond is the source of America’s strength and that of every responsible nation represented here today.

If this organization is to have any hope of successfully confronting the challenges before us, it will depend, as President Truman said some 70 years ago, on the “independent strength of its members.” If we are to embrace the opportunities of the future and overcome the present dangers together, there can be no substitute for strong, sovereign, and independent nations – nations that are rooted in their histories and invested in their destinies; nations that seek allies to befriend, not enemies to conquer; and most important of all, nations that are home to patriots, to men and women who are willing to sacrifice for their countries, their fellow citizens, and for all that is best in the human spirit.

In remembering the great victory that led to this body’s founding, we must never forget that those heroes who fought against evil also fought for the nations that they loved.

Patriotism led the Poles to die to save Poland, the French to fight for a free France, and the Brits to stand strong for Britain.

Today, if we do not invest ourselves, our hearts, and our minds in our nations, if we will not build strong families, safe communities, and healthy societies for ourselves, no one can do it for us.

We cannot wait for someone else, for faraway countries or far-off bureaucrats – we can’t do it.  We must solve our problems, to build our prosperity, to secure our futures, or we will be vulnerable to decay, domination, and defeat.

The true question for the United Nations today, for people all over the world who hope for better lives for themselves and their children, is a basic one: Are we still patriots? Do we love our nations enough to protect their sovereignty and to take ownership of their futures? Do we revere them enough to defend their interests, preserve their cultures, and ensure a peaceful world for their citizens?

One of the greatest American patriots, John Adams, wrote that the American Revolution was “effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.”

That was the moment when America awoke, when we looked around and understood that we were a nation. We realized who we were, what we valued, and what we would give our lives to defend. From its very first moments, the American story is the story of what is possible when people take ownership of their future.

The United States of America has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world, and the greatest defenders of sovereignty, security, and prosperity for all.

Now, we are calling for a great reawakening of nations, for the revival of their spirits, their pride, their people, and their patriotism.

History is asking us whether we are up to the task. Our answer will be a renewal of will, a rediscovery of resolve, and a rebirth of devotion. We need to defeat the enemies of humanity and unlock the potential of life itself.

Our hope is a word and – world of proud, independent nations that embrace their duties, seek friendship, respect others, and make common cause in the greatest shared interest of all: a future of dignity and peace for the people of this wonderful Earth.

This is the true vision of the United Nations, the ancient wish of every people, and the deepest yearning that lives inside every sacred soul.

So, let this be our mission, and let this be our message to the world: We will fight together, sacrifice together, and stand together for peace, for freedom, for justice, for family, for humanity, and for the almighty God who made us all.  

Thank you. God bless you. God bless the nations of the world. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much.