Remarks by the President at Clinton Global Initiative

New York, New York

2:12 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, all of you.  I was just discussing with President Clinton that if Chelsea begins delivery while I'm speaking, she has my motorcade and will be able to navigate traffic.  (Laughter.)  Because actually, it's pretty smooth for me during the week.  I don't know what the problem is. Everybody hypes the traffic, but I haven't noticed.  (Laughter.)   

Always wonderful to follow Matt Damon.  (Laughter.)  I saw people trickling out after he was done.  (Laughter and applause.) These are the hardcore policy people who decided to stay for me. (Laughter.) 

I want to thank President Clinton for your friendship and your leadership, and bringing us together as only he can.  Bill first asked me come to CGI when I was a senator -- and as President, I’ve been proud to come back every year.  As President, Bill asked Americans to serve their country -- and we recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps on the South Lawn.  And Bill asked all of you to make commitments to better our world -- and together you’ve touched the lives of hundreds of millions of people.  And it's a testimony, I think, to any leader, not just for what they themselves do, but the degree to which they’re able to inspire action from others.  And by that measure, obviously Bill Clinton has continued to exert extraordinary global leadership for decades and I suspect for decades more to come.  (Applause.) 

Now, in agreeing to come I had an ask, as well.  I think one of the best decisions I ever made as President was to ask Hillary Clinton to serve as our nation’s Secretary of State.  (Applause.) She just welcomed me backstage.  I’ll always be grateful for her extraordinary leadership representing our nation around the world.  And I still have a lot of debt to pay, though, because the two of them were separated far too often.  Hillary put in a lot of miles during her tenure as Secretary of State.  She has the post-administration glow right now.  (Laughter.)  She looks much more rested.  (Laughter.)     

So it's wonderful to be back at CGI.  I cannot imagine a more fitting audience with whom to discuss the work that brings me here today -- and that is our obligation as free peoples, as free nations, to stand with the courageous citizens and brave civil society groups who are working for equality and opportunity and justice and human dignity all over the world.

I'm especially pleased that we're joined today by our many partners in this work -- governments, civil society groups, including faith leaders, and men and women from around the world who devote their lives and, at times, risk their lives to lifting up their communities, and strengthening their nations, and claiming universal rights on behalf of their fellow citizens.  And we’re honored by the presence of these individuals.

As we do every time this year, Presidents and Prime Ministers converge on this great city to advance important work. But as leaders, we are not the most important people here today. It is the civil society leaders who, in many ways, are going to have the more lasting impact, because as the saying goes, the most important title is not president or prime minister; the most important title is citizen. 

It is citizens -- ordinary men and women, determined to forge their own future -- who throughout history have sparked all the great change and progress.  It was citizens here in America who worked to abolish slavery, who marched for women’s rights and workers’ rights and civil rights.  They are the reason I can stand here today as President of the United States.  It’s citizens who, right now, are standing up for the freedom that is their God-given right. 

And I’ve seen it myself, in the advocates and activists that I’ve met all over the world.  I’ve seen it in the courage of Berta Soler, the leader of Cuba’s Ladies in White who endure harassment and arrest in order to win freedom for their loved ones and for the Cuban people.  I’ve seen it in the determination of Russians in Moscow and St. Petersburg who speak up for rule of law and human rights.  I’ve seen it the passion of advocates in Senegal who nurture their democracy, and young Africans across the continent who are helping to marshal in Africa’s rise.  I’ve seen it the hope of young Palestinians in Ramallah, who dream of building their future in a free and independent state.  I see it in the perseverance of men and women in Burma who are striving to build a democracy against the odds. 

These citizens remind us why civil society is so essential. When people are free to speak their minds and hold their leaders accountable, governments are more responsive and more effective. When entrepreneurs are free to create and develop new ideas, then economies are more innovative, and attract more trade and investment, and ultimately become more prosperous.

When communities, including minorities, are free to live and pray and love as they choose; when nations uphold the rights of all their people -— including, perhaps especially, women and girls -— then those countries are more likely to thrive.  If you want strong, successful countries, you need strong, vibrant civil societies.  When citizens are free to organize and work together across borders to make our communities healthier, our environment cleaner, and our world safer, that's when real change comes.

And we see this spirit in the new commitments you’re making here at CGI to help the people of West Africa in their fight against Ebola.

We’ve also seen this spirit in another cause -– the global campaign against anti-personnel landmines.  Tireless advocates like Jody Williams fought for the Ottawa Convention; leaders like Patrick Leahy have led the charge in Washington.  Twenty years ago, President Clinton stood at the United Nations and pledged that the United States would work toward the elimination of these landmines, and earlier today, we announced that we will take another important step.  Outside of the unique circumstances of the Korean Peninsula -— where we have a longstanding commitment to the defense of our ally South Korea -— the United States will not use anti-personnel landmines.  (Applause.)

So we will begin destroying our stockpiles not required for the defense of South Korea.  And we’re going to continue to work to find ways that would allow us to ultimately comply fully and accede to the Ottawa Convention.  And the United States will continue to lead as the world’s largest donor of global demining efforts, freeing communities and countries from these weapons.

The point is this started in civil society.  That's what prompted action by President Clinton and by myself.  And promoting civil society that can surface issues and push leadership is not just in keeping with our values, it’s not charity.  It’s in our national interests.  Countries that respect human rights -— including freedom of association -- happen to be our closest partners.  That is not an accident.  Conversely, when these rights are suppressed, it fuels grievances and a sense of injustice that over time can fuel instability or extremism.  So I believe America’s support for civil society is a matter of national security.

It is precisely because citizens and civil society can be so powerful -— their ability to harness technology and connect and mobilize at this moment so unprecedented -— that more and more governments are doing everything in their power to silence them.

From Russia to China to Venezuela, you are seeing relentless crackdowns, vilifying legitimate dissent as subversive.  In places like Azerbaijan, laws make it incredibly difficult for NGOs even to operate.  From Hungary to Egypt, endless regulations and overt intimidation increasingly target civil society.  And around the world, brave men and women who dare raise their voices are harassed and attacked and even killed.

So today, we honor those who have given their lives.  Among them, in Cameroon, Eric Lembembe; in Libya, Salwa Bugaighis; in Cambodia, Chut Wutty; in Russia, Natalia Estemirova.  We stand in solidarity with those who are detained at this very moment.  In Venezuela, Leopoldo Lopez; in Burundi, Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa; in Egypt, Ahmed Maher; in China, Liu Xiaobo; and now Ilham Tohti; in Vietnam, Father Ly.  And so many others.  They deserve to be free.  They ought to be released.    

This growing crackdown on civil society is a campaign to undermine the very idea of democracy.  And what’s needed is an even stronger campaign to defend democracy.

Since I took office, the United States has continued to lead the way, and as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton helped champion our efforts.   Across the globe, no country does more to strengthen civil society than America.  And one year ago, here in New York, I pledged that the United States would do even more, and I challenged the world to join us in this cause.  Working with many of you, that’s what we’ve done.  And today I’m proud to announce a series of new steps.

First, partnering and protecting civil society groups around the world is now a mission across the U.S. government.  So under a new presidential memorandum that I’m issuing today, federal departments and agencies will consult and partner more regularly with civil society groups.  They will oppose attempts by foreign governments to dictate the nature of our assistance to civil society.  (Applause.)  And they will oppose efforts by foreign governments to restrict freedoms of peaceful assembly and association and expression.  So this is not just a matter of the State Department, or USAID.  It’s across the government -— this is part of American leadership. 

Second, we’re creating new innovation centers to empower civil society groups around the world.  And I want to thank our partners in this effort, including the government of Sweden and the Aga Khan Development Network.  Starting next year, civil society groups will be able to use these centers to network and access knowledge and technology and funding that they need to put their ideas into action.  And we’ll start with six centers in Latin America, in Sub-Saharan Africa, in the Middle East and in Asia.  Oppressive governments are sharing “worst practices” to weaken civil society.  We’re going to help you share the “best practices” to stay strong and vibrant.

Number three, we’re expanding our support and funding for the Community of Democracies to better coordinate the diplomacy and pressure that we bring to bear.  And this means more support for those who are fighting against the laws that restrict civil society.  In recent years, we’ve worked together to prevent new limits on civil society from Kenya to Cambodia.  And we’ve helped expand the space for civil society in countries from Honduras to Tunisia to Burma.  And standing together, we can do even more.

And finally, we’re increasing our support to society groups across the board.  We’re going to increase our emergency assistance to embattled NGOs.  We’ll do more to match groups with the donors and funding that they need.  And in the coming months, our Treasury Department will finalize regulations so it’s even easier and less costly for your foundations to make grants overseas.  (Applause.)

We’ll increase our legal assistance and technical support to those pushing back against onerous laws and regulations.  And through our Open Government Partnership, we’ll help more governments truly partner with civil society.  We’ll continue to stand up for a free and open Internet, so individuals can access information and make up their own minds about the issues that their countries confront.

And through our programs to engage young leaders around the world, we’re helping to build the next generation of civil society leaders.  And our message to those young people is simple:  America stands with you. 

We stand with educators like Walid Ali of Kenya.  Where’s Walid?  I just had a chance to meet him.  There he is.  (Applause.)  In his village near the border of Somalia, young people without jobs are tempted by drugs.  They're recruited by terrorists.  So Walid offers them counseling, and business classes, and small plots of farmland -— helping them rebuild their own lives and their communities and giving them options for the future.  He strives, he says, not just for the idea of democracy, but to “cement the practice of democracy.”  So we thank you, Walid, for your extraordinary efforts, and we stand with you.  (Applause.)

We stand with humanitarians like Miriam Canales.  Where is Miriam?  There she is right there.  (Applause.)  In communities that are wracked at times by horrific violence, children are so terrified to walk the streets that many begin that dangerous and often deadly march north.  And Miriam’s outreach centers give them a safe place to play and grow and learn.  And she says her dream is “that people in Honduras can walk free” and that young people will have “opportunities in their own country.”  We couldn’t be prouder of you, Miriam, and we stand with you.  (Applause.) 

We stand with activists like Sopheap Chak, of Cambodia.  Where’s -- there she is, Sopheap.  (Applause.)  Sopheap saw a fellow human rights advocate hauled off by the police, and she could have fled, too, but she says she’s never thought of leaving Cambodia even for minute.  So she keeps organizing and marching and mobilizing youth to demand justice.  And she says: “I dream that Cambodian citizens can enjoy the freedoms that they are entitled to.”  We could not be prouder of you, and we stand with you.  (Applause.)   

And we stand with advocates like John Gad of Egypt.  Where’s John?  (Applause.)  Like all Egyptians, John has lived through the turmoil of recent years.  As an artist, he uses his poetry and performances to help people “discover the power inside them,” which is as good a description of being an organizer as anything -- and being a leader.  And he’s been working to help women and girls recover from violence and sexual assault.  He’s focused, he says, on “how to teach Egyptians to accept each other.”  And he has said that “we have rights that we can achieve in a peaceful way.”  John is the future.  That's why we stand with him.  (Applause.)    

     Now, these individuals are just a small sample, they're just an example of the extraordinary drive and courage and commitment of people that oftentimes are outside of the headlines.  People don't do stories on them.  When they're endangered or harassed, it usually doesn't surface in the news.  But they are those who are pushing the boulder up the hill to make sure that the world is a little bit of a better place.

     And we live in a complicated world.  We’ve got imperfect choices.  The reality is sometimes, for instance, for the sake of our national security, the United States works with governments that do not fully respect the universal rights of their citizens. These are choices that I, as President, constantly have to make. And I will never apologize for doing everything in my power to protect the safety and security of the American people.  That is my first and primary job.  (Applause.)  But that does not mean that human rights can be simply sacrificed for the sake of expediency. 

So although it is uncomfortable, although it sometimes causes friction, the United States will not stop speaking out for the human rights of all people, and pushing governments to uphold those rights and freedoms.  We will not stop doing that, because that's part of who we are, and that's part of what we stand for. (Applause.)

And when governments engage in tactics against citizens and civil society, hoping nobody will notice, it is our job to shine a spotlight on that abuse.  And when individuals like the one I introduced are being held down, it’s our job to help lift them back up.  When they try to wall you off from the world, we want to connect you with each other.  When your governments may try to pass oppressive laws, we’ll try to oppose them.  When they try to cut off your funding, we’re going to try to give you a lifeline. And when they try to silence you, we want to amplify your voice.

And if, amid all the restrictions, and all the pressure, and all the harassment, and all the fear, if they try to tell you that the world does not care and that your friends have forsaken you, do not ever believe it.  Because you are not alone.  You are never alone.  (Applause.)  Your fellow advocates stand with you, and your communities stand with you.  Your friends around the world stand with you.  The United States of America stands with you, and its President stands with you.

No matter how dark the hour, we remember those words of Dr. King: “The time is always ripe to do right.”  And Dr. King also said:  “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”  The reason we support civil society is because we have seen in this country of ours that it does, in fact, bend toward justice.  But it does not do so on its own.  It does so because there are hands of ordinary people doing extraordinary things every single day and they pull that arc in the direction of justice.

That's why we have freedom in this country.  That's why I’m able to stand before you here today.  And that's why we will stand with them tomorrow.

God bless you all.  God bless all those who are working under tough conditions in every corner of the world.  (Applause.) Thank you, CGI.  Thank you, President Clinton.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
2:35 P.M. EDT

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Conviction and Sentencing of Ilham Tohti

The United States is deeply concerned by today’s sentencing of prominent Uighur Ilham Tohti to life imprisonment on charges of separatism.  He is a respected professor who has long championed efforts to bridge differences between Uighurs and Han Chinese.  We believe that civil society leaders like Ilham Tohti play a vital role in reducing the sources of inter-ethnic tension in China, and should not be persecuted for peacefully expressing their views. 

We call for Chinese authorities to release Professor Tohti, as well as his students who remain in detention, and to guarantee them the protections and freedoms to which they are entitled under China’s international human rights commitments and its own constitution.  We stress the importance of Chinese authorities differentiating between peaceful dissent and violent extremism.

The American people and government commend China’s social and economic progress over the past three decades and value good relations with the Chinese people and government.  At the same time, the United States will always speak out in support of universal rights, including the freedom of expression, including for members of the press, and the freedoms of association and peaceful assembly.  These basic freedoms – which are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, the Chinese Constitution, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – are ones the United States champions around the world.

FACT SHEET: U.S. Support for Civil Society

In September 2013, President Obama launched Stand with Civil Society, a global call to action to support, defend, and sustain civil society amid a rising tide of restrictions on its operations globally.  Working in partnership with other governments, the philanthropic community, and multilateral initiatives, including the Community of Democracies and Lifeline: Embattled CSO Assistance Fund, the United States Government has focused on three lines of effort over the past year: (1) promoting laws, policies, and practices that foster a supportive environment for civil society in accordance with international norms; (2) coordinating multilateral, diplomatic pressure to push back against undue restrictions on civil society; and (3) identifying innovative ways of providing technical, financial, and logistical support to promote a transparent and vibrant civil society.  The United States is the largest supporter of civil society in the world, with more than $2.7 billion invested to strengthen civil society since 2010.

Today, President Obama deepened the United States’ commitment to Stand with Civil Society by issuing a Presidential Memorandum to U.S. agencies engaged abroad.  Specifically, the Presidential Memorandum directs U.S. agencies to defend and strengthen civil society abroad by:  consulting regularly with civil society organizations to explain the views of the United States, seek their perspectives, utilize their expertise, and build strong partnerships to address joint challenges; resisting efforts by foreign governments to dictate the nature of U.S. assistance to civil society, the selection of individuals or entities to implement U.S. Government programs, or the selection of recipients or beneficiaries of those programs; opposing efforts by foreign governments to impose excessive restrictions on the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association; and creating greater opportunities for exchange and dialogue between governments and civil society.  Through this directive, the President is mobilizing the U.S. Government to address the global crackdown on civil society.

The President also announced a new, groundbreaking initiative to support and connect civil society across the globe through the launch of Regional Civil Society Innovation Centers, in partnership with the Government of Sweden and the Aga Khan Development Network.  Over the next two years, up to six networked Regional Civil Society Innovation Centers will be created worldwide.  These Centers will connect civil society organizations at the regional and global level to each other, new partners, and resources; encourage peer-to-peer learning; provide civil society organizations and their networks with virtual and physical platforms to access tools and technologies that will bolster their work; and amplify civil society voices around the world.  Civil society organizations, academia, and technology partners will provide additional financial and in-kind resources, as well as technical expertise, to enhance the value of the Centers to civil society.

The Administration is committing additional resources and taking new actions – in partnership with other governments, regional and multilateral institutions and bodies, the philanthropy community, and the private sector – to expand the space for civil society around the world and advance the Stand with Civil Society Agenda:

• Providing core funding for the Community of Democracies (CD).  The United States will provide $3 million over three years in core funding to CD to strengthen the architecture for global diplomatic action when governments are considering new laws, regulations, or administrative measures that restrict civil society in a manner inconsistent with their international obligations and commitments, including those enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Financial Action Task Force.  This funding will also help CD in its efforts to repeal or reform excessive restrictions on civil society through expert consultations and dialogue with civil society representatives from repressive environments. 
• Operationalizing CD-UNITED (Using New Investments to Empower Democracy).  The United States is supporting a groundbreaking effort that enables governments and organizations in CD to pool resources and co-finance projects that strengthen civil society and democracy worldwide.  From training women activists in Central Asia to helping citizens and the media monitor elections in North Africa, CD-UNITED is making it easy for donors to team up and provide multilateral funding that supports civic engagement and citizen action.  The new core funding for CD from the United States will allow CD-UNITED to build civil society partnerships and projects with courageous organizations in more countries around the world.
• Expanding the Legal Enabling Environment Program (LEEP).  An increasing number of governments are inhibiting the free operation of civil society and cutting off civil society organizations’ ability to receive funding from legitimate sources.  In some cases, these restrictions arise out of the implementation of laws, regulations, and administrative measures that are being inappropriately applied; in other cases, the laws, regulations, and administrative measures are themselves problematic.  The U.S. Government will expand the LEEP program, which is implemented by International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), to further strengthen legal and regulatory environments for civil society by providing technical assistance, financial support to partner organizations, training, and expert research to mitigate restrictions on civil society. 
• Coordinating with the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to support civic participation and making government more responsive, effective, and accountable.  OGP’s 64 participating countries represent one-third of the world’s population and have made more than 2,000 open government reform commitments since 2011.  OGP National Action Plans (NAPs), developed through consultations between government and civil society, commit to advance transparency, accountability, citizen engagement, and technological innovation for good governance.  The United States consulted with the general public, a broad range of civil society stakeholders, academia, and the private sector in developing its first two National Action Plans in 2011 and 2013.  Globally, the United States works with participating countries to deepen engagement with civil society organizations to improve good governance in key thematic areas, such as the environment, health and education.  The United States strongly supports the development of OGP’s Rapid Response Policy to respond when participating countries do not fulfill their commitments to inclusive governance. 
• Consulting with civil society.  Over the past year, the U.S. Government has held public and private consultations with civil society organizations to explore new approaches and partnerships around civil society sustainability and civic space.  Consultations included a Partners’ Forum in June on “The Challenge of Closing Space” and the Civil Society Forum of the African Leaders Summit in August.  Most recently, in September, the Asia Civil Society Experience Summit in Indonesia (co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme and others) brought together over 150 participants from civil society, government, and the private sector from 21 countries across Asia.  A joint statement by participating civil society organizations called on civil society to leverage information and communication technologies to strengthen regional coalitions; called on the international community to improve donor coordination and promote innovative partnerships with non-traditional actors; and called for civil society and international partners to engage local governments to collaborate with civil society to solve community problems.
• Enhancing efforts with other governments and within intergovernmental bodies to protect civil society while combating terrorist activity.  The United States is committed to working with relevant institutions and bodies, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), to implement laws on combating terrorist financing while working to protect the legitimate activities of civil society organizations from being disrupted.  For example, the United States has worked closely with the FATF over the past year to increase engagement with civil society, including in the development of the FATF Non-Profit Organization Typology Report, and supports the inclusion of civil society during the important FATF anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance country assessment process.  In the coming year, the Administration will continue to work with the FATF and seek continued consultation with the private sector to revise the FATF Best Practices on protecting non-profit organizations from abuse by terrorist organizations.
• Expanding assistance to Lifeline: Embattled CSOs Assistance Fund.  The Administration will contribute an additional $2 million to Lifeline, a multilateral initiative in which the United States participates.  This builds on the $5 million that has been provided to date.  The Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway have also renewed their financial commitments to Lifeline.  This funding will augment emergency assistance available to civil society organizations under threat and deliver more coordinated diplomatic engagement in priority countries.  Since its founding in 2011, Lifeline has assisted 446 civil society organizations in 85 countries.
• Developing the Next Generation of Civil Society through the establishment of an Asian Civil Society and Non-Profit Management Curriculum Program.  The U.S. Government is partnering with Khon Kaen University in Thailand to establish Southeast Asia’s first School for Civil Society and Non-profit Management.  This program will allow 140 university students per year, as well as 40 civil society leaders from throughout the Mekong Lower Basin, to complete a degree or certificate program that builds their non-profit management skills.  Over the next three years, the University will develop Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs as well as executive certification (non-degree) programs, and will serve as a regional hub for coordination, best practice exchange, and networking among civil society leaders.
• Emerging Global Leaders Initiative: Atlas Corps Fellows.  The United States Government and Atlas Corps will partner to bring 100 of the world’s best social change leaders to the United States on a leadership development fellowship, each ranging from 6-18 months.  As part of the program, Atlas Corps will convene fellows three times in Washington, D.C. for leadership training and place them at leading civil society organizations across the United States.