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New Lecture Series to Honor Senator Helms



March 8, 2004

 

Helms International Diplomacy Lecture Series

 

NEW LECTURE SERIES TO HONOR SEN. HELMS

LAUNCHES MARCH 15TH IN WASHINGTON, DC

 

Inaugural Address from State Department’s Paula Dobriansky

 

Opening Forum focuses on U.S. –UN Relationship

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new lecture series honoring the leadership of former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, R-NC, and his contribution to improving the U.S.–UN relationship is being launched March 15th by the Better World Campaign. The Helms International Diplomacy Lecture Series will focus on the U.S. leadership role in the world and its relationship with the United Nations.

 

As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995-2001, Sen. Helms helped revive the U.S.-UN relationship. Senator Helms, along with Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), brokered the landmark 1999 Helms-Biden legislation, which committed a U.S. payment of nearly $1 billion in arrears to the United Nations in return for a series of benchmarks to be met by the organization. This amount was fully paid by September 2002. In 2000, Senator Helms had the privilege of becoming the first sitting U.S. Senator to address the UN Security Council.

 

“Sen. Helms was a tough critic of the United Nations but he recognized that U.S. national interests are advanced by working through an energized UN that promotes our shared values of democracy and justice around the world. He also understood the importance of working with the UN to assure that America does not have to go it alone in addressing international conflict,” said Timothy Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund.

 

The first lecture in the program, on March 15th in Washington, DC, will feature Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobrianksy. Under-Secretary Dobriansky, whose State Department portfolio includes promoting democracy, human rights, labor, counter-narcotics and law enforcement, refugee and humanitarian relief matters, and environmental/scientific issues, will focus her remarks on human rights and democracy and the complimentary work of the United Nations.