United States Mission Geneva

“…the sanctions aim squarely at the nuclear ambitions of a government that has chosen a path that will lead to increased isolation… “[The] resolution prohibits Iran from investing in sensitive nuclear activities abroad. It imposes binding new restrictions on Iran’s import of conventional arms. It bans all Iranian activities related to ballistic missiles that could deliver a nuclear weapon….”

- Ambassador Susan Rice

This resolution complements our diplomatic efforts to engage Iran. We will continue to work with our international partners to forge a peaceful solution. The United States remains open to dialogue, but Iran must live up to its obligations and clearly demonstrate to the international community the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.

These sanctions have been carefully designed to target those individuals and entities who are most responsible for Iran’s nuclear program. They are not intended to hurt the people of Iran.

The United States joined the Human Rights Council a year ago because we feel very firmly that the promotion and protection of human rights internationally is a core value of the United States, and a fundamental cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.

Today, on World Press Freedom Day, the United States proudly joins the international community in honoring the many courageous journalists around the world who act bravely in the face of danger each day to expose injustice, corruption, and abuse of power. And we reaffirm our commitment, as we have since the founding of our nation, to freedom of speech and a free press.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Distinguished Representatives of indigenous groups from around the world, Excellencies and distinguished delegates.

Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, on Disarmament and World Security, in the General Assembly

The status of the world’s women is not only a matter of morality and justice. It is also a political, economic, and social imperative. Put simply, the world cannot make lasting progress if women and girls in the 21st century are denied their rights and left behind.

The proliferation of nuclear weapons continues to pose one of the greatest threats to global security. Thus, the international nuclear nonproliferation regime must be strengthened to confront the evolving threats from terrorists and other nonstate actors with nuclear ambitions as well as the ongoing challenge of governments that flaunt their nuclear nonproliferation obligations. As President Obama noted in Prague, “In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up.”