Obama addresses UN – full text
" . . . The leaders who built the United Nations were not naïve; they did not think this body could eradicate all wars. But in the wake of millions dead and continents in rubble, and with the development of nuclear weapons that could annihilate a planet, they understood that humanity could not survive the course it was on. And so they gave us this institution, believing that it could allow us to resolve conflicts, enforce rules of behavior, and build habits of cooperation that would grow stronger over time. For decades, the United Nations has in fact made a difference -- from helping to eradicate disease, to educating children, to brokering peace. But . . . "
