“I stand before you today as a multilateralist - by precedent, by principle, by Charter and by duty. “I also believe that every government that is committed to the rule of law at home, must be committed also to the rule of law abroad. And all States have a clear interest, as well as clear responsibility, to uphold international law and maintain international order.
“Our founding fathers, the statesmen of 1945, had learnt that lesson from the bitter experience of two world wars and a great depression.
“Our founding fathers, the statesmen of 1945, had learnt that lesson from the bitter experience of two world wars and a great depression.
“They recognized that international security is not a zero-sum game. Peace, security and freedom are not finite commodities -– like land, oil or gold –- which one State can acquire at another’s expense. On the contrary, the more peace, security and freedom any one State has, the more its neighbours are likely to have.
“And they recognized that, by agreeing to exercise sovereignty together, they could gain a hold over problems that would defeat any one of them acting separately.
“And they recognized that, by agreeing to exercise sovereignty together, they could gain a hold over problems that would defeat any one of them acting separately.