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5/18/76 - Habitat Delegation
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1133467
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5/18/76 - Habitat Delegation
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This file contains material relating to United Nations Conference on Human Settlements.
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Carla A. Hills Speeches
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The original documents are located in Box 2, folder "5/18/76 - Habitat Delegation" of the
Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 2 of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
HABITAT DELEGATION
MAY 18, 1976
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO MEET AS A DELEGATION,
HERE, BEFORE WE ASSEMBLE IN VANCOUVER, WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF
HARD WORK TO DO UP THERE AND THE BETTER COORDINATED WE
ARE -- BOTH AS A TEAM AND IN OUR SENSE OF MISSION -- THE
BETTER EQUIPPED WE WILL BE TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS AND
THE IDEALS OF THE UNITED STATES.
THIS CONFERENCE IS A FIRST IN THE PROGRESS OF HUMAN
HISTORY. WE GO TO VANCOUVER TO CONTRIBUTE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND
OUR POSITIONS ON THE CENTRAL ISSUES AS WE PERCEIVE THEM.
BUT WE ALSO GO TO LEARN FROM THE ROUGHLY 145 OTHER NATIONAL
DELEGATIONS ASSEMBLED - TO ABSORB THE KNOWLEDGE THEY BRING
TO THE CONFERENCE; TO STUDY THEIR POSITIONS ON THE ISSUES AS
PERCEIVED FROM THEIR OWN VANTAGE POINTS.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WE GO TO VANCOUVER WITH A
DELEGATION WORTHY OF THE INESCAPABLE SPOTLIGHT THE UNITED
STATES WILL BE UNDER AS A LEADING WORLD POWER. A DELEGATION
TOTALLY COMMITTED TO CONSTRUCTIVE CONTRIBUTION - WITH NO
WISH TO DOMINATE THE PROCEEDINGS NOR TO OFFER PAT PRESCRIPTIONS
FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. A DELEGATION WHICH WILL BE
JUDGED BY THE WORLD, NOT ON ITS POWER OR NUMBERS, BUT ON
QUALITY OF ITS THINKING.
BERALO THE FORD LIBRARY
-2-
BECAUSE THE CONFERENCE IS AT THE MINISTERIAL LEVEL,
INCLUDING THE ATTENDANCE OF SOME HEADS OF STATE, HABITAT HAS
WORLDWIDE POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE. IN ITS WORLDWIDE TERMS WE
SEE THIS CONFERENCE AS A CONTINUATION OF THE DIALOGUE
BETWEEN THE DEVELOPED AND THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IN PAST
YEARS THIS DIALOGUE HAD BEEN QUITE STRIDENT AND ANTAGONISTIC.
BUT, BEGINNING WITH THE 7TH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS LAST FALL, THE UNITED STATES HAS TAKEN THE
LEAD IN TRYING TO CREATE A RELATIONSHIP OF COOPERATION BASED
ON MUTUAL RESPECT RATHER THAN CONFRONTATION. THAT EFFORT IS
CONTINUING IN THE MEETING OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT WHICH JUST GOT UNDERWAY IN NAIROBI.
WE WILL STRIVE TO CONTINUE THAT EFFORT AT HABITAT.
IN ADDITION TO THE INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, HABITAT
HAS A FOREMOST NATIONAL DIMENSION. IT IS VITAL THAT OUR
DELEGATION TRULY REPRESENT ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES AND THE IDEAL OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM UNDER WHICH THEY
LIVE.
I BELIEVE THAT, ASSEMBLED HERE, WE HAVE SUCH A DELEGATION,
AND I AM GRATEFUL TO EACH OF YOU FOR AGREEING TO SERVE.
-3-
As YOU KNOW, VANCOUVER WILL BE THE SCENE OF TWO CONFERENCES,
IN ADDITION TO THE OFFICIAL UNITED NATIONS MEETING TO WHICH
YOU WILL BE DELEGATES, THERE WILL BE A CONCOMITANT CONCLAVE
OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS -- A LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE OF
THE IMPORTANCE ALL GROUPS OF ALL PARTICIPATING NATIONS
ATTACH TO THE WORLDWIDE NATURE OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ITSELF,
THE PRECEDING CONFERENCES ON FOOD, THE ENVIRONMENT AND
WOMEN WERE SIMILARLY CONSTRUCTED AND ATTENDED.
TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE EXPECTED
TO ATTEND THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE WHICH IS CALLED
THE HABITAT FORUM -- WHICH BEGINS ON MAY 27TH, FOUR DAYS
AHEAD OF THE U.N. CONFERENCE, AND RUNS THROUGH JUNE 11TH.
MANY OF THOSE ATTENDING WILL BE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
UNITED STATES, AND IT WILL BE OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
ARE FULLY INFORMED OF THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS ON A DAY-
TO-DAY BASIS,
-4-
AND WE MUST BE SURE THAT THEY HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO
COUNSEL US ON THEIR VIEWS AS WE GO ALONG. WE MUST KEEP IN
MIND, AT ALL TIMES, THAT THESE EXEMPLARY PRIVATE GROUPS WILL
BE INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONFERENCE
GENERALLY -- AND WITH THE POSITIONS TAKEN BY THE UNITED
STATES PARTICULARLY,
THEREFORE, I WILL CALL A SPECIAL, OPEN MEETING IN
VANCOUVER FOR ALL ATTENDING NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
-- TO DETAIL FOR THEM OUR DELEGATION AGENDA AND OBJECTIVES
AND TO INTRODUCE YOU, INDIVIDUALLY, AS WORKING PARTNERS.
THEREAFTER, Russ PETERSON, WILL CHAIR REGULARLY POSTED
MEETINGS WITH THE AMERICAN CONTINGENT,
IT IS A BIG ORDER, BECAUSE THESE MEETINGS WILL INVOLVE
MANY GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH MANY QUESTIONS, AND,
PREDICTABLY, MANY RESULTANT SMALLER CONFERENCES ON SPECIAL
PROBLEMS OF SPECIAL GROUPS, OUR DELEGATION IS RELATIVELY
SMALL. WE HAVE DELIVERATELY KEPT IT THAT WAY IN KEEPING
WITH OUR RESOLVE NOT TO DOMINATE THE SCENE. BUT THAT ALSO
PUTS A HEAVIER WEIGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY ON EACH MEMBER. So,
YOU'LL BE ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN TO TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN
HELPING US MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL
GROUPS FROM THE UNITED STATES.
-5-
As AN OFFICIAL DELEGATION OF OUR COUNTRY, WE ARE
REPRESENTING THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. WE
RECEIVE OUR INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE. THE
VIEWS WE EXPRESS ARE THE OFFICIAL VIEWS OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE BOUND TO THAT OBLIGATION. WE CANNOT VOICE OUR
INDIVIDUAL FEELINGS OR THE POSITIONS OF INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES,
THAT, PERHAPS, IS ONE OF THE HARDEST TESTS OF ANY U.S.
DELEGATE TO ANY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE -- SINCE FREE
SPEECH IS INHERENT TO OUR WAY OF LIFE. IT WILL BE A TEST AT
VANCOUVER BECAUSE, BY NATURE OF THE WORLDWIDE ASSEMBLAGE,
THE THRUST OF THE CONFERENCE WILL BE POLITICAL -- AND A
GREAT DEAL MORE POLITICAL THAN THE PREPARATORY PROCESS.
THE CONFERENCE WILL HAVE GREAT FLUIDITY. FOR, ALTHOUGH
THE 56 MEMBER NATIONS WHO MADE UP THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE
ARE BROADLY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED NATIONS MEMBERSHIP
-- THERE WILL BE ANOTHER 70-or-so ADDITIONAL NATIONS IN
VANCOUVER WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE EARLY DELIBERATIONS.
AND THAT WILL ADD GREATLY TO OUR NEED FOR DISCUSSING
AND NEGOTIATING WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF OTHER NATIONAL DELEGATIONS.
-6-
You WILL BE CALLED ON TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN THE WORK
OF THE PLENARY AND COMMITTEES.
THAT WILL INCLUDE THE PREPARATION OF STATEMENTS AND
POSITIONS IN ADDITION TO UNITED STATES REPRESENTATION IN
PLENARY DURING GENERAL DEBATE.
You WILL BE ASKED TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH OTHER NATIONAL
DELEGATIONS -- BOTH TO CONVEY THE VIEWS OF THE UNITED STATES
AND TO REPORT BACK TO OUR DELEGATION ON THEIRS,
AND YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR
CONTINUING LIAISON WITH THE AMERICAN NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
APART FROM THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BRIEFING SESSIONS,
SINCE THE CONFERENCE OFFICIALLY BEGINS IN VANCOUVER AT
11 A.M. ON MONDAY, MAY 31st -- MEMORIAL DAY -- I HAVE SCHEDULED
A DELEGATION MEETING FOR 8:30 THAT MORNING, WE WILL PROVIDE
YOU WITH ALL NECESSARY SCHEDULING INFORMATION THIS MORNING,
THEREAFTER, WE PLAN A DAILY DELEGATION MEETING AT
8:45 A.M. IN PREPARATION FOR EACH DAY'S ACTIVITIES.
-7-
I EXPECT TO BE IN VANCOUVER ON MAY 31st THROUGH JUNE 2ND.
I WILL HAVE TO BE AWAY FROM VANCOUVER JUNE 3RD THROUGH
JUNE 5TH. I EXPECT TO BE BACK IN VANCOUVER JUNE 6TH THROUGH
THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONFERENCE.
IN MY ABSENCE, Russ PETERSON WILL BE IN CHARGE AND WILL
HEAD THE DELEGATION.
STARTING WITH Russ PETERSON, CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL ON
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, WHO WILL SERVE AS DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF
OUR DELEGATION, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR SENIOR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DELEGATES:
DAVID MEEKER -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY, HUD.
CHRISTIAN HERTER -- ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, AID.
CHARLES ORLEBEKE -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY, HUD.
WILLIAM MORRILL -- ASSISTANT SECRETARY, HEW.
IRWIN (PETE) HALPERN -- DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, DOT.
STANLEY SCHIFF -- STATE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR FOR HABITAT,
WHO WILL NOW BRIEF YOU ON THE CONFERENCE AGENDA, OUR SCHEDULES
AND OUR CONFERENCE DOCUMENTS,