Obama: Peace is a chance at 'a life worth living'

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Peace is not just the absence of war, but creation of a prospect "to make life worth living," U.S. President Obama said Wednesday at the United Nations.

"True peace depends upon creating the opportunity that makes life worth living," Obama said. "And to do that, we must confront the common enemies of human beings: nuclear weapons and poverty; ignorance and disease. These forces corrode the possibility of lasting peace, and together we are called upon to confront them."

Nations must pursue "the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons," the president said. As nations pursue peaceful ends that include securing nuclear materials from terrorists and smugglers and reducing nuclear arms, "we must continue to hold accountable those nations that flout them," Obama said, singling out Iran and North Korea.

"There is a future of greater opportunity for the people of these nations if their governments meet their obligations," he said. "But if they continue down a path that is outside international law, they must be met with greater pressure and isolation. That is what our commitment to peace demands."

In international efforts to end poverty and bring prosperity to countries, "we must promote the growth that creates opportunity," such as open markets, innovation and entrepreneurship, Obama said.

As the international financial crisis has shown, "our fate is interconnected. In a global economy, nations will rise, or fall, together," Obama said.

To fight poverty afflicting children, "we must act on the belief that freedom from want is a basic human right," Obama said. "The United States has made it a focus of our engagement abroad to help people to feed themselves. … Together, we must continue to provide assistance, and support organizations that can reach those in need."

He said nations also must insist on "unrestricted humanitarian access" to save lives.

"Our common humanity is at stake," Obama said. "That is what our commitment to our fellow human beings demands."

To stop the spread of disease, public health systems must be strengthened, he said.

"We will focus on the health of mothers and children," he said. "And we must come together to prevent, detect and fight every kind of biological danger."

Obama said nations must work to preserve the planet by saving resources that are scarce.

To help societies reach their potentials, "we must allow our citizens to reach theirs. No country can afford the cancer of corruption. Together, we must harness the power of open societies and open economies.

"I know that there is no straight line to progress, no single path to success," the president said. "We come from different cultures, and carry with us different histories.

"But let us never forget that even as we gather here as heads of different governments, we represent citizens who share the same basic aspirations: to live with dignity and freedom; to get an education and pursue opportunity; to love our families and our God. To live in the kind of peace that makes life worth living."