LIVE: President Biden delivers his final address to the U.N. General Assembly

our country is divided and angry and there were questions about our stain power and our future but even then I entered public life not out of Despair but out of optimism United States and the world got through that moment wasn't easy or simple without significant setbacks but we go on to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons throughout the arms control and then go on to bring the Cold War itself to an end Israel and Egypt went to war but then forged a historic peace we ended the war in Vietnam the last year in inoi I was met with the Vietnamese leadership we elevated our partnership to the highest level it's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the capacity for reconciliation that today the United States and Vietnam are partners and friends and it's proof that even from the horrors of War there's a way forward things can get better we should never forget that I've seen that throughout my career in the 1980s I spoke out against the partite in South Africa and then I watched the racist regime fall in the 1990s I worked to hold movich accountable for war crimes he was held accountable at home I wrote and pass the violence against women act to end the scourge of violence against women and girls not only in America but across the world as many of you have as well but we have so much more to do especially against rape and sexual violence as weapons of war and Terror we were attacked at 9911 by Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden we brought him Justice then I came to the presidency in another moment of Crisis and uncertainty I believed America had to look forward new challenges new threats new opportunities were in front of us we need to put ourselves in a position to see the threats to deal with the challenges and to seize the opportunities as well we need to end the ER of war that began on 911 as vice president to President Obama he asked me to work to wind down the military operations in Iraq and we did painful as it was when I came to office as president Afghanistan to replace Vietnam as America's longest war I was determined to end it and I did was a hard decision but the right decision four American Presidents had faced that decision but I was determined not to leave it to the fifth was the decision accompany by by tragedy 13 Brave Americans lost their lives along with hundreds of Afghans in a suicide bomb I think those lost lives I think of them every day I think of all the 2,461 US military deaths over a long 20 years of that war 20,745 American servicemen wounded in action I think of their service their sacrifice and their heroism I know other countries lost their own men and women fighting alongside us we honor their sacrifices as well to face the future I was also determined to rebuild my country's alliances and Partnerships to a level not previously seen we did we did just that from traditional treaty alliances to new Partnerships like the quad with the United States Japan Australia and India I know I know many look at the world today and see difficulties and back with despair but I do not I won't As Leaders we don't have the luxury I recognize the challenges from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan and Beyond War hunger terrorism brutality record displacement of people a climate crisis democracy at risk stranger than our societies the promise of artificial intelligence and significant risk well this goes on but maybe because all I've seen and all we have done together over the decades I have hope I know there is a way forward in 1919 the Irish Poe William butas described the world and I quote where Things Fall Apart the center cannot hold M Anarchy is loosed upon the world and of course quot some may say those words describe the world not just in 1919 but in 2024 but I see CR a critical distinction in our time the center has held leaders and people from every region and across the political Spectrum have stood together Turn the Page we turn the page in the worst pandemic in the century we made sure Co no longer controls Our Lives we defended the UN Charter and assured the survival of Ukraine as a free Nation my country made the largest investment in climate clean energy ever anywhere in history they'll always be forces to pull our countries apart and the world apart aggression extremism chaos and cynicism desire to retreat from the world and go alone our task our test is to make make sure that the forces holding us together are stronger than those are pulling us apart that the principles of partnership that we came here each year to uphold can withstand the challenges that the center holds once again my fellow leaders I truly believe we're at another inflection point world history but the choices we make today will determine our future for decades to come will we stand behind the principles of unius we stand firm against aggression we will We End the conflicts that are raging today we take on global challenges like climate change hunger and disease but we plan now for the opportunities and risk of a revolutionary new technologies I want to talk today about each of these decisions and the actions in my view we must take to start each of us in this body has made a commitment to the principles of the UN Charter to stand up against aggression when Russia invaded Ukraine we could have stood by and merely protested but vice president Harris and I understood that that was an assault on everything this institution was supposed to stand for and so my direction America stepped into the breach providing massive security and economic and humanitarian assistance our NATO allies Partners in 50 plus Nations stood up as well but most importantly the Ukrainian people stood up I ask the people of this chamber to stand up for them the good news is Putin's War has failed and his at his core aim he set out to destroy Ukraine but Ukraine is still free he set out to weaken NATO but NATO is bigger stronger more United than ever before with two new members Finland and Sweden but we cannot let up the world now has another choice to make will we sustain our support to help Ukraine win this war and preserve its freedom or walk away let aggression be renewed and a nation be destroyed I know my answer we cannot grow weary we cannot look away and we will not let up on our support for Ukraine not until Ukraine wins a just endurable peace the UN [Applause] Char we also need to uphold our principles as we seek to responsibly manage the competition with China so it does not Veer into conflict We Stand ready to cooperate on urgent challenges for the good of our people and the people everywhere we recently resumed cooperation with China to stop the flow of deadly synthetic narcotics I appreciate the collaboration it matters to the people of my country me many others around the world on matters of conviction the United States is unabashed pushing back against unfer economic competition against military coercion of other nations and in the South China Sea and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and protecting our most Advanced Technologies so they cannot be used against us or any of our partners at the same time we're going to continue to strengthen our network of alliances and Partnerships across the indopacific these Partnerships are not against Any Nation they're building blocks for a free open secure and peaceful indopacific we're also working to bring greater measure of peace and stability in the Middle East the world must not flinch from the horrors of October 7th any country any country would have the right and responsibility to ensure that such an attack can never happen again thousands of armed and M terrorist invaded a sovereign state slaughtering and massacring more than 1,00 people including 46 Americans in their homes and at a music festival despic despicable acts of sexual violence 250 Innocents taken hostage I've met with the families of those hostages I've grieved with them they're going through hell innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell thousands thousand kills including Aid workers too many families dislocated crowding in the tents facing a dire humanitarian situation they did not ask for this war that Hamas started I put forward with cter and Egypt a ceasefire and hostage deal it's been endorsed by the UN Security Council now is the time for the parties to finalize its terms bring the hostages home and secure security for Israel and Gaza free of H mamas grip ease the suffering in Gaza and end this war on October 7th since October 7 we've also been determined to prevent a wider war that engulf the entire region Hezbollah unprovoked during the October 7th attack launching Rockets into Israel almost a year later too many on each side of the Israeli Lebanon border remain displaced fullscale war is not in anyone's interest even if situation has escalated a diplomatic solution is still possible in fact it Remains the only path to Lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes and the Border safely and that's what working that's what we're working tirelessly to achieve as we look ahead must also address the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank and set the conditions for a better future including a two-state solution where the world where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalize relations with all its neighbors where Palestinians live in security dignity and self-determination in a state of their [Applause] own progress toward peace will put us in a stronger position to do with the ongoing threat posed by Iran together we must deny oxygen to Terror to its terrorist proxies which have called for more October 7th and ensure that Iran will never ever obtain a nuclear weapon Gaza is not the only conflict that deserves our outrage in Sudan a bloody Civil War unleash one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis 8 million 8 million on the brink of famine hundreds of thousands are already there atrocities are foreign elsewhere the United States has led the world in providing humanitarian Aid to Sudan and with our partners we've LED diplomatic talks to try to silence the guns and aort and avert a wider famine the world needs to stop arming the generals to speak with one voice and tell them stop tearing your country apart stop blocking Aid to the sudanes people end this war now but people need more than the absence of War they need a chance a chance to live in dignity they need to be protected from the ravages of climate change hunger and disease our Administration as AR has invested over $150 billion dollar to make progress and other sustainable development goals it includes 20 billion for food security over 50 billion for Global Health we've mobilized billions more in private sector investment we've taken the most ambitious climate action in history we've moved to rejoin the Paris agreement on day one today my country is finally on track to cut emissions in half by 2030 on track to honor my pledge to quadruple climate financing to developing nations with 11 billion thus far this year we've rejoined the World Health Organization Dona nearly 700 million doses of covid vaccine 27 countries we must now move quickly to face empo outbreak in Africa we're prepared to commit $500 million to help African countries prevent and respond to empo and to donate 1 million doses of empo vaccine now we call on our partners to match our pledge and make this a billion dooll commitment to the people of Africa beyond the core necessities of food and health the United States the G7 and our partners have embarked on an ambitious initiative to mobilize and deliver significant Finance to the developing World we're working to help countries build out their infrastructure to clean energy transition to the digital transformation to lay New Economic foundations for a prosperous future it's called The partnership for Global infrastructure and investment we've already started to see the fruits of this emerge in southern Africa and Southeast Asia and in the Americas we have to keep it going I want to get things done together in order to do that we must build a stronger more effective and more inclusive United Nations the UN needs to adapt and bring new voices and new New Perspectives that's why we support reforming and expanding the membership of the UN Security Council my un Ambassador just laid out our detailed Vision to reflect today's world not yesterday's it's time to move forward a security Council like the UN itself needs to go back to the job of making peace of brokering deals to end Wars and suffering [Music] and to stop the spread of the most dangerous weapons of stabilizing trouble regions in East Africa from East Africa to Haiti to Kenya Le Mission that's working alongside the Asian people to turn the tide we also have a responsibility to prepare our citizens for the future we'll see more technological change I argue in the next two to 10 years we have have in the last 50 years artificial intelligence is going to change our ways of life our ways of work and our ways of War could Usher in scientific progress in a pace never seen before and much of it could make our lives better but AI also brings profound risks from Deep fakes to thisinformation to novel pathogens to bioweapons we've worked at home and and abroad to define the new norms and standards this year we achieved the first ever General Assembly resolution on AI to start developing Global rules Global rules of the road we also announced a declaration of on the responsib responsible use of AI joined by 60 countries in this chamber but let's be honest this just the tip of the iceberg what we need to do to manage new technology nothing is certain about how AI will evolve or how it will be deployed no one knows all the ansers my fellow leaders as with humility I offer two questions first how do we as an International Community govern AI as countries and companies raced to uncertain Frontiers we need an equally urgent effort to ensure AI safety security and trustworthiness as AI grows more powerful it must grow Al also must grow more responsive to our Collective needs and values benefits of all must be shared equitably should be harnessed to a narrow not deepened digital divides second will we ensure that AI supports rather than undermines the core principles that human life has value and All Humans deserve dignity we must make certain that the awesome capabilities of AI will be used to uplift and Empower everyday people not to give dictators more powerful Shackles on human on the human spirit in the years ahead there may they may be May well be no greater test of our leadership than how we deal with AI let me close with this even as we navigate so much change one thing must not change we must never forget who we're here to represent We the People these are the first words of our constitution the very idea of America they inspired the opening words of the UN Charter I made the preservation of democracy the central cause of my presidency this summer I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as president was a difficult decision being president has been the honor of my life there's so much more I want to get done as much as I love the job I love my country more I decided after 50 years of Public Service it's time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward my fellow leaders let us never forget some things are more important than staying in power it's your people [Applause] it's your people that matter the most never forget we are here to serve the people not the other way around because the future will be the future will be won by those who unleash the full potential of their people to breathe free to think freely to innovate to educate to live and love openly without fear that's the sole democracy it does not belong to any one country I've seen it all around the world and the brave men and women who entered the partite brought down the Berlin Wall fight today for freedom and Justice and dignity we saw it that Universal yearning for rights and freedom in Venezuela where Millions cast their vote for change it hadn't been recognized but it can't be denied the world knows the truth we saw in Uganda lbgt activists demanding safety and recognition of their common Humanity we seen citizens across the world peacefully choosing their future from Ghana to India to South Korea Nations representing one quarter of humanity who will hold elections this year alone it's remarkable the power of we the people that makes me more optimistic about the future than I've ever been since I was first elected to the United States Senate in 1972 every age faces his challenges I saw it as a young man I see it today but we are stronger than we think we're stronger together than alone and what the people call Impossible Is Just an Illusion Nelsa Mandela taught us and I quote it always seems impossible until it's done it always seems impossible until it's done my fellow leaders there's nothing that's beyond our capacity if we work together let's work together God bless you all and may God protect all those who seek peace thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] on behalf of the assembly I wish to thank the president of the United States of America may I request representatives to remain seated while we suspend the meeting for 5 minutes before resuming to hear the next speaker go