THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(New York, New York)
For
Immediate Release September 6, 2000
TOAST REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT LUNCHEON IN HONOR OF THE LEADERS OF THE
MILLENNIUM SUMMIT
North Delegates Lounge
The United Nations
New York, New York
2:02 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary General, Mr. Security Council President;
to the Presidents of Finland and Namibia, the co-Presidents of this
remarkable Millennial Summit. First, let me say again on behalf of the
American people, we are deeply honored to host each and every one of you in
this largest ever gathering of world leaders. For many of you, this has
been a long and difficult journey and I thank you for coming.
Mr. Secretary General, I think I speak for all here when I thank you
for your hospitality, your leadership, your vision and your inspiration. A
year ago at this luncheon, you looked ahead to the Millennial Summit and
said the following: It must go beyond a series of statements. "It must
make decisions, setting the agenda for the United Nations in the new
century." You have helped to set that agenda by publishing your Millennium
Report and the report on U.N. peace operations.
You have raised the hardest questions about the U.N.'s
responsibilities in this new era, and given some of the hard answers. And
you have reminded us that the final answers must come from those with the
authority and the resources to help the United Nations fulfill its mission.
In the final analysis, all of us in this room, and those whom we represent
must be up to the challenge if the U.N. is to succeed.
This morning I had the opportunity to address the Assembly in terms of
the challenge of making peace and of making the U.N. a more effective
instrument of peace. Peace always needs champions who will stand for it
because it will always have enemies who will stand against it.
Cervantes once said, every man is as heaven made him -- and sometimes
a great deal worse. (Laughter.) Mr. Secretary General, you are a man as
heaven made you, and sometimes a great deal better. (Applause.) You have
made the United Nations a trusted champion of the values it was founded to
defend on the rough terrain of the real world. Some have called your hope
and optimism, your lofty goals idealistic. I say, good for you. Unless we
first imagine the world we want to build, we cannot achieve it.
And so, Mr. Secretary General, we thank you for your idealism. We are
glad you are here in this position at this important time in history. The
world needs you.
I ask all here to join me in a toast to the Secretary General of our
United Nations. (Applause.)
END 2:05 P.M. EDT
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