International Relations Committee
International Cooperation and Support for the United Nations
The League of Women Voters of the United States takes an active stand on international relations. The League has a long history of advocacy on U.S. legislation and actions related to arms control, military policy and defense spending, trade, the United Nations, and relations with developing countries. The on-going efforts against terrorism are a powerful reminder that international cooperation is paramount for world peace. International cooperation is expressed in many ways, including agreements on trade policies and regulations and on environmental issues. In particular, the League supports measures to strengthen the United Nations, in recognition of the need for cooperation among nations in an interdependent world.
Statements by the LWV of the United States
U.S. MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ
Statement by the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of the United States, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- American men and women are being sent into battle in Iraq. The League of Women Voters strongly supports our troops and their families, and our thoughts are with them. It is the commitment and bravery of these Americans that unites a diverse nation under a common set of democratic ideals.
The Bush Administration has set out on a course of military action to resolve the situation in Iraq. The League of Women Voters believes that continued diplomatic efforts through the United Nations would have better served international unity in this current crisis and that military force should have been used as a tool of last resort. The UN must continue to be the instrument to foster international cooperation and maintain and protect peace around the world.
In time, U.S. policy will focus on the work to be done in the aftermath of war. The United States will need to exercise diplomatic leadership to heal international rifts and enable the people of Iraq to live freely and in peace. The Bush Administration must fulfill its commitment to working with the people of Iraq, its neighbors, the United Nations and other international organizations to establish the institutions and conditions needed for sustainable economic, social and political development. Building civil society, history has taught us, depends on the unyielding resolve and commitment of a country's people and their international supporters.