拜登总统在民主峰会开幕会议上的讲话

白宫
新闻秘书办公室
华盛顿哥伦比亚特区
2021年12月9日
南院礼堂（South Court Auditorium）
美东标准时间上午8时12分
 
总统：各位好，欢迎参加首届民主峰会（Summit for Democracy）。
这次集会长时间以来一直萦绕在我的脑海中，原因很简单：面对全世界对民主以及普世人权的持续不断、令人警觉的挑战，民主需要有积极倡导者。
而且我想要主持这次峰会，是因为这里——在美国这里，我们和所有人一样清楚，振兴我们的民主以及增强我们的民主机制必须要靠持续的努力。
美国民主是一场持续不断的奋斗，为了践行我们的最高理念并弥合我们的分歧；为了让我们重新致力于我们的《独立宣言》（Declaration of Independence）所阐明的我国的建国理念。
我们宣告：“这些真理是不言而喻的”，所有女性和男性都生而平等，造物主赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利，其中包括生命权、自由权和追求幸福的权利。
民主不会偶然产生。我们必须一代接一代地努力振兴它。而且在我看来，这是我们所有人的一项迫切要务。因为我们正在看到的数据大都指向一个错误的方向。
据自由之家（Freedom House）报告，2020年标志着全球自由连续第15年出现倒退。
近期的另外一份报告来自国际民主和选举援助机构（International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance），报告指出所有民主体中有一半以上，其中包括美国在内，在过去10年里经历了他们的民主中至少一个方面的退步。
而且这些趋势因全球性挑战而加剧，这些挑战比以往任何时候都更加复杂，并需要共同努力来解决有关关切：
来自独裁者的外部压力。他们试图增进自己的权力，向全世界输出并扩大他们的势力，并为他们的压制性政策和做法开脱，声称其为应对今日挑战的一种更有效的方式。正是这么宣扬的。
试图煽风点火，助长社会分裂和政治两极分化的声音。
而且可能最重要也是最令人担忧的——最令人担忧的是，助长全世界人民对于他们感到未能满足他们需求的民主政府的不满。
在我看来，这是我们这个时代的决定性挑战。
民主——民有、民治、民享的政府——有时可能是脆弱的，但它也具备固有的坚韧性。它能够自我修正，也能够自我改善。
是的，民主是艰难的。我们都知道这一点。它在共识与合作中最有效力。当观点可能对立的人士及党派坐下来找到一起合作的途径时，就能开始见效了。
但它是发挥人类潜能并捍卫人类尊严以及解决重大问题的最佳途径。而且有赖于我们来证明这一点。
民主并非全都一样。我们并非在每个问题上都意见一致，我们今天与会的所有人都是这样。但我们共同做出的选择，我认为，将为子孙后代确定我们共同的未来的道路。
而且作为一个全球民主共同体，我们必须捍卫那些将我们团结起来的价值观。
我们必须捍卫正义和法治、言论自由、集会自由、新闻自由、宗教自由以及每个人的所有固有人权。
我已辞世的朋友、国会众议员约翰·刘易斯（John Lewis）曾是一位美国民主以及全世界民权的伟大的倡导者，他学习了甘地（Gandhi）和曼德拉（Mandela）等其他伟大的领袖的经验并从中得到激励。
去年，他在临终时为我们国家留下了遗言，他让我们的国家不要忘记：“民主不是一种状态，而是一种行动。” “民主不是一种状态，而是一种行动。”
因此，在今后两天里，我们将来自100多个政府的领导人汇集在一起，还有活动人士、行业工会人士及其他公民社会成员，知名专家和研究人员，以及工商界代表，不是——不是要断言我们的民主体中的任何一个完美无缺或无所不知，而是要挽起手来并重申我们改善我们的民主体的共同承诺；分享创意并相互学习；并做出切实承诺——如何增强我们自己的民主并抵御威权主义，抗击腐败，促进并保护每个地方的人民的人权。要行动起来。要行动起来。
本届峰会将启动付诸行动的一年，让我们所有国家都落实我们的承诺并在明年报告我们所取得的进展。
我们在这样做的同时，美国将以身作则地引领，并投入于我们自己的民主——我们的民主，同时支持我们在全世界的合作伙伴。
自本届政府就职之初，我们——我们就实行了基础广泛的议程，以证实美国民主仍能成就大事并应对最重大的挑战。
因此，我们立即通过了我们所说的《美国救援计划》（American Rescue Plan），尽可能快地在国内及世界各地为人们接种疫苗，以便控制住这场疫情并刺激包容的、持久的经济恢复，而这也有助于推动全球增长。
上个月，我自豪地签署了一项跨党派立法，我们国内的民主党人和共和党人之间的一项真正的共识法案：《基础设施投资和就业法》（Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act）。
这项立法将进行一项世代投资，以便为人民提供在21世纪最需要的服务：清洁用水、安全的道路、高速宽带网络以及诸多服务——所有这些都将通过创造收入良好的有工会的工作机会来增强我们的民主，这些工作将让劳动人民过上拥有机会和尊严的生活，能更好地获取他们蓬勃发展所需的工具和资源。
而且我希望——我希望很快——很快——就能签署我们称之为《更好地重建》（Build Back Better）计划的法案并使之成为法律，它将成为对我们的人民和我们的劳动者的巨大投资，并让美国家庭享有多一点喘息余地来应对他们的问题和他们的机会。
我们的国内议程一直侧重于满足美国人民的需求和加强我们国内的民主制度。
在上任的第一天，我签署了一项促进种族公正和平等的行政命令。最近，本届政府发布了我们的第一份性别平等和公平国家战略（National Strategy on Gender Equality and Equity）。
我们正在增强工人的权力，工人通过组织工会在工作场所、社区和国家中发表意见，这不仅仅是争取经济利益的集体行为，也是民主实践。
我们正在努力为美国人民登记投票提供便利，我们把司法部从事捍卫和执行选举权法律工作的律师人数增加了一倍。
本届政府将继续努力通过两项至关重要的立法，它们将巩固美国民主的基础：每个人通过自由、公平和安全的选举发表自己意见的神圣权利。
我们需要颁布我们所说的《自由选举法案》（Freedom to Vote Act）和《约翰·刘易斯选举权促进法案》（John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act），以防止选举歧视，确保选民的基本权利，并确保选民的意愿以及其他权益得到维护。
我们应该让人民更容易投票，而不是更难投票。在我们达到目标之前，这将仍然是本届政府的一项首要工作。
不作为不是一种选择。
随着我们继续在国内做出努力，使美国更接近我们所说的“更完美的联盟”，我们还在大力加强与世界各地民主体的联系并为它们提供支持。
本周早些时候，我发布了第一个美国政府反腐败战略，该战略提升了我们打击跨国腐败的力度——这种犯罪消耗公共资源，削弱政府为人民提供服务的能力，使人们对政府失去必不可少的信心。
该战略包括与你们各位——我们在世界各地的伙伴——合作，以提高透明度，追究腐败行为者的责任，削弱他们利用美国和国际金融体系隐藏资产和洗钱的能力。
今天，我自豪地发起了“总统民主复兴倡议”（Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal），该倡议将侧重于所有外交——外交和对外援助计划，在全球范围内加强民主体制的复原力和人权。
我们正在与国会商榷，计划在明年投入高达 2.24 亿美元 [4.24 亿美元] 来加强透明和负责任的治理，包括支持媒体自由、打击国际腐败、与民主改革者站在一起、促进有助于民主发展的高新技术，明确什么是公平选举并捍卫它。
让我举几个例子来说明根据这个倡议所需要从事的工作：一个自由和独立的媒体。这是民主的基石，是公众知情和向政府问责的机制。在世界范围内，新闻自由正在受到威胁。
因此，我们正在投入至关重要的种子资金来启动一项新的多边努力——国际公共利益媒体基金（International Fund for Public Interest Media）——以支持世界各地的独立媒体。
我们将通过美国国际发展署设立一个新的保护记者防范诽谤基金（Defamation Defense Fund for Journalists），以帮助保护调查记者免受企图阻止其工作——他们在世界各地的重要工作——的滋扰诉讼。
我们将启动一批新计划，以帮助将民间社会、媒体、学术界、劳工界的反腐败活动联系起来，保护举报人，并帮助合作伙伴消除洗钱和避风港。
为了确保我们的民主通过声音——通过所有公民的声音——得到加强，这项总统倡议包括许多计划，其内容包括增进妇女和女孩权益、加强公民参与和政治领导力、增强 LGBTQL+ 社区及个人参与民主体制的能力、促进劳工法改革、支持工人组织等。
它包括我们与合作伙伴共同做出的一些新努力，以解决在线骚扰和滥用问题，降低一些国家滥用高新技术（包括监控技术）压制人民表达意见的权利的可能性。
我们将提出两项——我们将提出两项跨领域的快速反应行动计划，以支持本次峰会的关键目标：民主复兴基金和民主伙伴关系（Partnership for Democracy）项目。这将允许美国国务院和美国国际发展署在必要时提供紧急资金，支持我们在世界各地民主前线辛勤努力的合作伙伴们。
各位领导人、公民社会成员、活动家、维权人士及公民们：在我看来，我们正处于一个历史转折点。我们接下来——在这一刻做出的选择将从根本上决定我们的世界在未来几十年的发展方向。
我们将坐视人权和民主继续倒退还是将共同——共同——追求一个愿景——不是“一个”愿景，而是唯一的“愿景”——并鼓起勇气再次引领人类走向进步和自由？
我相信我们可以做到，如果我们对自己、我们的民主制度以及彼此有信心，我们就会做到。
这就是本次峰会的意义所在。
我非常期待我们在接下来的两天中即将举行的富有成效的会议和讨论。我期待我们将建立联系，推动我们的工作向前发展。
因此，让我们行动起来。非常感谢大家耐心地听我演讲。
（讲话完）
美东标准时间上午8时25分
 
欲查看原稿内容: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/12/09/remarks-by-president-biden-at-the-summit-for-democracy-opening-session/
本译文仅供参考，只有英文原稿才可以被视为权威资料来源。

Remarks By President Biden At The Summit For Democracy Opening Session

DECEMBER 09, 2021•SPEECHES AND REMARKS
8:12 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, hello everyone, and welcome to the first Summit for Democracy.
This gathering has been on my mind for a long time for a simple reason: In the face of sustained and alarming challenges to democracy, universal human rights, and — all around the world, democracy needs champions.
And I wanted to host this summit because here is the — here in the United States, we know as well as anyone that renewing our democracy and strengthening our democratic institutions requires constant effort.
American democracy is an ongoing struggle to live up to our highest ideals and to heal our divisions; to recommit ourselves to the founding idea of our nation captured in our Declaration of Independence, not unlike many of your documents.
We say: “We hold these truths to be self-evident” that all women and men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Democracy doesn’t happen by accident.  We have to renew it with each generation.  And this is an urgent matter on all our parts, in my view.  Because the data we’re seeing is largely pointing in the wrong direction.
Freedom House reports, in 2020, that it marked the 15th consecutive year of global freedom in retreat.
Another recent report, from the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance, noted that more than half of all democracies have experienced a decline in at least one aspect of their democracy over the last 10 years, including the United States.
And these trends are being exacerbated by global challenges that are more complex than ever and which require shared efforts to address these concerns:
By outside pressure from autocrats.  They seek to advance their own power, export and expand their influence around the world, and justify their repressive policies and practices as a more efficient way to address today’s challenges.  That’s how it’s sold.
By voices that seek to fan the flames of societal division and political polarization.
And perhaps most importantly and worrying of all — most worrying of all, by increasing the dissatisfaction of people all around the world with democratic governments that they feel are failing to deliver for their needs.
In my view, this is the defining challenge of our time.
Democracy — government of the people, by the people,for the people — can at times be fragile, but it also is inherently resilient.  It’s capable of self-correction and it’s capable of self-improvement.
And, yes, democracy is hard.  We all know that.  It works best with consensus and cooperation.  When people and parties that might have opposing views sit down and find ways to work together, things begin to work.
But it’s the best way to unleash human potential and defend human dignity and solve big problems.  And it’s up to us to prove that.
Democracies are not all the same.  We don’t agree on everything, all of us in this meeting today.  But the choices we make together are going to define, in my view, the course of our shared future for generations to come.
And as a global community for democracy, we have to stand up for the values that unite us.
We have to stand for justice and the rule of law, for free speech, free assembly, a free press, freedom of religion, and for all the inherent human rights of every individual.
My late friend Congressman John Lewis was a great champion of American democracy and for civil rights around the world, learning from and gaining inspiration from other great leaders like Gandhi and Mandela.
With his final words, as he was dying, to our nation last year, he reminded our country, quote, “Democracy is not a state, it is an act.”  “Democracy is not a state, it is an act.”
So, over the next two days, we’re bringing together leaders from more than 100 governments alongside activists, trade unionists, and other members of civil society, leading experts and researchers, and representatives from the business community, not — not to assert that any one of our democracies is perfect or has all the answers, but to lock arms and reaffirm our shared commitment to make our democracies better; to share ideas and learn from each other; and to make concrete commitments of how — how to strengthen our own democracies and push back on authoritarianism, fight corruption, promote and protect human rights of people everywhere.  To act.  To act.
This summit is a kick-off of a year in action for all of our countries to follow through on our commitments and to report back next year on the progress we’ve made.
And as we do this, the United States is going to lead by example, investing in our own democratic — in our democracy, supporting our partners around the world at the same time.
From the earliest days of my administration, we pursu- — we’ve pursued a broad-based agenda to prove that American democracy can still do big things and take on challenges that matter most.
That’s why we immediately passed what we call the American Rescue Plan to get shots in people’s arms as fast as possible at home and around the world to help get this pandemic under control, and to stimulate inclusive and lasting economic recovery that’s also helping to drive global growth.
Last month, I was proud to sign a bipartisan piece of legislation, a true act of consensus between Democrats and Republicans in our country: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
This legislation will make a generational investmentto deliver what people need most in the 21st century: clean water, safe roads, high-speed broadband Internet, and so much more — all of which strengthens our democracy by creating good-paying union jobs that will translate to lives of opportunity and dignity for working people, with better access to the tools and resources they need to thrive.
And soon — and soon, I hope — I hope to sign into law a bill we call the Build Back Better plan, which will be an extraordinary investment in our people and our workers and give American families just a little more breathing room to deal with their problems and their opportunities.
Our domestic agenda has been focused on delivering for the needs of the American people and strengthening our democratic institutions at home.
On my first day in office, I signed an executive order to advance racial justice and equality.  And my administration recently released our first National Strategy on Gender Equality and Equity.
We’re fostering greater worker power, because workers organizing a union to give them the voice in their workplace, in their community, and their country isn’t just an act of economic solidarity, it’s democracy in action.
We’re making it easy for Americans to register to vote, and we’ve doubled the number of attorneys defending and enforcing voting rights laws through our Department of Justice.
And my administration is going to keep fighting to pass two critical pieces of legislation that will shore up the very foundation of American democracy: the sacred right of every person to make their voice heard through free, fair, and secure elections.
We need to enact what we call the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to prevent voting discrimination, provide baselines for assessing — accessing the ballot box, and ensure the will of the voters is upheld, and so much more.
We should be making it easy for people to vote, not harder.  And that’s going to remain a priority for my administration until we get it done.
Inaction is not an option.
And as we continue to work at home to bring the United States closer to what we call a “more perfect union,” we’re doubling down on our engagement with and support of democracies around the world.
Earlier this week, I released the first U.S. government Strategy on Countering Corruption, which elevates our fight against transnational corruption — a crime that drains public resources and hollows out the ability of governments to deliver for the people and just evaporates confidence that the people much need to have in their government.
The strategy includes working with other partners — all of you around the world — to improve transparency, hold corrupt actors accountable, reduce their ability to use the United States and international financial systems to hide assets and to launder money.
And today, I’m proud to launch the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal, which will focus efforts across diplomacy — across our diplomacy and foreign assistance programs to bolster democratic resilience and human rights and — globally.
Working with our Congress, we’re planning to commit as much as $224 million [$424 million] in the next year to shore up transparent and accountable governance, including supporting media freedom, fighting international corruption, standing with democratic reformers, promoting technology that advances democracy, and defining and defending what a fair election is.
Let me give you a few examples of the kind of work this initiative is — will entail: a free and independent media.  It’s the bedrock of democracy.  It’s how the public stay informed and how governments are held accountable.  And around the world, press freedom is under threat.
So, we’re committing critical seed money to launch a new multilateral effort — our International Fund for Public Interest Media — to sustain independent media around the world.
And through the — our USAID, we’re going to be standing up a new Defamation Defense Fund for Journalists to help protect investigative journalists against nuisance lawsuits designed to prevent them from doing their work — their vital work around the world.
We’re going to launch new programs to help connect anti-corrup- — anti-corruption activities across civil society, the media, academia, labor, and protect whistleblowers and help partners eliminate money laundering and safe havens.
To ensure that our democracies are strengthening by the voice — are strengthened by the voice of all citizens, this Presidential Initiative includes programs to advance women and girls and civic engagement and political leadership, empowering the LGBTQL [sic] community — plus community — individuals to participate in democratic institutions, promote labor law reform, working or — and worker organizations.
It includes new lines of efforts with our partners to address online harassment and abuse, and reduce the potential for countries to abuse new technologies, including surveillance technologies, to suppress the rights of their people to express their views.
And we’ll stand up two — and we’re going to stand up two rapid-response, cross-cutting initiatives that support the key goals of this summit: the Fund for Democratic Renewal and the Partnership for Democ- — for Democracy program.  It’s going to allow State Department and USAID to surge funds to support our partners working on democratic frontlines around the world.
My fellow leaders, members of civil society, activists, advocates, citizens: We stand at an inflection point in our history, in my view.  The choices we make, in my view, in the next — in this moment are going to fundamentally determine the direction our world is going to take in the coming decades.
Will we allow the backward slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked?  Or will we together — together — have a vision and the vision — not just “a” vision, “the” vision — and courage to once more lead the march of human progress and human freedom forward?
I believe we can do that and we will if we have faith in ourselves, in our — and in our democracies, and in each other.
That’s what this summit is about.
I’m so looking forward to a productive session and discussions that we’ll have — we’ll have over the next two days.  I’m looking forward to the connections we’ll build to support our work moving forward.
So, let’s get to work.  Thank you all so very much for your patience.
8:25 A.M. EST