布什在白宫出席国际发展高层会议(2008-10-21)

President Bush Attends White House Summit on International Development

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. Madam President. Madam President I could not think of anybody better to give me dancing lessons than you. (Laughter.) We love you. I love your spirit. I love your leadership. I love the example you set for leaders all across the globe. And it's an honor to be here with you. (Applause.)

And it's an honor to be here with you all. I welcome you to the White House Summit on International Development. It's a summit to herald the outstanding work being done to lift up souls in need. I appreciate the fact that folks in this room represent thousands that are replacing disease with health, dependency with self-reliance, and despair with hope.

The people gathered here come from different countries -- I see we represent different professions -- but we're united by our commitment to charting a new era in development. Today I'm going to talk with you about this new philosophy, about the way it's transforming countries and saving lives, and about why it's essential to continue in the years ahead.

Before I do so, I want to recognize not only the President, but her son, Robert. I suspect your mother tells you what to do like my mother tells me what to do. (Laughter.) As a matter of fact, your mother tells me what to do. (Laughter.) Welcome.

Congressman Donald Payne, we're sure proud you're here; thank you, Mr. Chairman, for coming. (Applause.) Much of the success of the programs we've implemented are due to, one, the generosity of the American people, but also the fine group of people that are implementers: Henrietta Fore, the Administrator of USAID; Rob Mosbacher, President and CEO of OPIC; Ambassador John Danilovich, Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO; Ambassador Mark Dybul, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator; Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer, U.S. Malaria Coordinator. Thank you all for being leaders. (Applause.)

The second choice to introduce me was Bob Geldof, musician. Of course, he'd have got up and said, I saw him try to sing while in Africa. (Laughter.) I've come to really appreciate Bob Geldof. He is a genuine person who has used his fame to help others in need, and it is a -- it's been a joy to work with you. You know, you and I might look differently, but I think we share the same compassion and the same hopes. And thank you for joining us today. (Applause.)

I want to thank the panelists who have participated in this conference. I do want to welcome members of the Diplomatic Corps; thank you all for coming by today.

You know, we meet today in the middle of a serious global financial crisis. Over the past few weeks, we have seen how the world's economies are more interconnected than ever before. The crisis is having a major impact on working people all over the world -- including many in developing nations.

During times of economic crisis, some may be tempted to turn inward -- focusing on our problems here at home, while ignoring our interests around the world. This would be a serious mistake. America is committed -- and America must stay committed -- to international development for reasons that remain true regardless of the ebb and flow of the markets. We believe that development is in America's security interests. We face an enemy that can't stand freedom. And the only way they can recruit to their hateful ideology is by exploiting despair -- and the best way to respond is to spread hope.

We believe that we ought to remain committed to development because it's in our long-term economic interests. When America helps developing nations rise out of poverty, we create new markets for our goods and services, and better jobs for American workers. And we're committed to development because it's in our moral interests. I strongly believe in the timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required. We are a blessed nation and I believe we have a duty to help those less fortunate around the world. We believe that power to save lives comes with the obligation to use it. And I believe our nation is better when we help people fight hunger and disease and illiteracy.

For all of these reasons, this administration has made international development one of our biggest priorities. As the President mentioned, we've worked with partner nations -- as well as the World Bank, and the IMF, and the African Development Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank -- to relieve tens of billions of dollars in debt from some of the world's poorest nations. By relieving crushing debt burdens, it gives people hope. We've also worked with wealthier nations to provide aid in the form of grants instead of loans. For the past eight years, the United States has provided more foreign assistance than at any time in the past half century.

We're using this aid to foster sustainable economic growth, and promote good governance, and advance a model of true partnership that gives poor nations a real stake in their own development. We're encouraging volunteer organizations, local charities, and the faith community to take on an even greater role -- because we strongly believe that they offer a compassion that no government can offer. Most of all, we're insisting on accountability in return for our assistance, so we can assure that our generosity leads to measurable results. You know, for too long, foreign aid was designed to make us feel good. Now, we're ensuring that our resources do good.

This new approach to development is embodied by a revolutionary initiative called the Millennium Challenge Account. See, this program says that the United States will help. But we expect countries that we help to fight corruption and to govern justly. There's nothing more pitiful than to have people's hopes robbed by corrupt government officials. We say to those we want to help support, open markets to trade and investment, and above all, invest in your people's health and education. You see, by tying our aid to these policies, we are encouraging developing nations to make tough economic and political and social reforms. We encourage leaders to respect their citizens, uphold human dignity, and work to earn the trust of their people. This approach is based on a clear conviction: People in the developing world have the capacity to improve their own lives -- and they will rise to meet high standards.

I refuse to accept the development model that says, oh, these people are doomed forever; let's just throw money at the problem. We believe that if you set high standards, good people will rise to meet those standards, regardless of where they live in the world. So the Millennium Challenge Account is a robust program that has invested $6.7 billion in 35 countries around the world. From Albania, to Moldova, to Indonesia, to Mongolia, to Paraguay, to Peru, these partnerships are helping developing nations take charge of their future -- and more importantly, unleash the talents of their people.

For example, this February President Kikwete of Tanzania and I signed a five-year, nearly $700 million compact to improve the country's transportation, energy, and water supply. It's pretty basic needs, isn't it? Transportation, energy and water supply. The partnership will build roads that connect rural Tanzanians to markets and schools and health clinics. It's hard to have a modern society if you can't get your product from rural to urban -- urban centers in your country. It's hard to get doctors to help people in the rural part of the country if you don't have roads to connect health care clinics to those in need. It's going to extend electricity to homes and businesses in some of the most remote areas of the country. It will increase access to clean drinking water, which will help reduce preventable diseases, especially in young children. Through these projects, the Millennium Challenge compact is helping Tanzania build a foundation for success in the 21st century -- and showing the promise of a new era in development.

In the new era of development, America and our partners are helping to meet basic human needs like food and clean water. There's nothing more basic than food and clean water. Since 2002, the United States has provided more than $16 billion in food assistance -- helping to ensure that tens of millions of people around the world do not go hungry. In response to the current global food crisis, we've committed $5.5 billion to address global hunger over the next two years. And that's important. These are stopgap measures. The American people care when they hear people are going hungry around the world. And I want to thank the American people for their generosity.

But as we work to resolve the crisis in the long run, we have got to find better solutions for global hunger in the long-term. In the short run we're helping; in the long term, we're developing a strategy and working with partners to help them grow their own food. There's no other way to put it. The best long-term policy for the United States is to help nations develop their own agricultural industry, so we don't have to deal with global food crisis year in and year out.

And so we supply poor and rural farmers with fertilizer and water-management systems. We distribute better seeds that will boost yields, and invest in research that will make crops like rice and wheat more resistant to drought and pests. You know, one of the really important challenges that this administration has taken on, and future administrations must take on, is to say to other markets around the world: It is okay to import markets to crops grown with biotechnology. A lot of countries are resistant upon introducing these new technologically advanced crops because they fear they're not going to be able to sell their crops elsewhere. And yet these crops will help people realize a vibrant agricultural industry.

I believe that as the United States moves forward, we ought to purchase up to a quarter of our food from local farmers. In other words, of all the food aid we get we ought to take a quarter of that, Donald, and purchase the food directly from local farmers. If it's in our interest to help build a local agricultural industry, then instead of just giving food, we ought to purchase food from the farmers themselves, to help build a vibrant agricultural sector in parts of the world where food is desperately needed. And I support the World Bank's strategy to increase investment in agriculture. (Applause.)

What I'm telling you is there's a better way than just a kind of patchwork approach. It's an approach that basically says we can use our technological advancement and our expertise to help build vibrant agricultural industries in nations where there ought to be crops today.

The United States works with partner nations to deal with the lack of clean water. Last year we dedicated nearly a billion dollars to improve sanitation and water supplies in developing nations. We're also wise enough to enlist the private sector to help, as well.