Very soon, President Obama soon be joined by new Cabinet members, including a new Secretary of State. A new session of Congress also includes new faces, with more than 90 new members.
As the Obama Administration and Congress set their international agendas, new bipartisan polling data released by the Better World Campaign shows that an overwhelming majority of American voters – 86 percent – believe it’s important for the U.S. to maintain an active role within the United Nations.
We are a responsible nation — a nation that understands that international cooperation is vital to our national security and foreign policy priorities. As we work to emerge from a recession and the faces of our foreign policy leadership change, Americans understand we need to stand with our partners to make real change on the international stage.
Indeed, Americans’ priority issues are the ones that the United Nations addresses directly on a daily basis. From promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction through the Millennium Development Goals, to aiding troop withdrawals in Afghanistan by disarming rebel groups, strengthening judicial systems and training police forces, the UN is directly supporting American objectives.
Other important findings from the poll include:
- More than two-thirds of voters favor paying our dues to the UN on time and in full;
- More than two-thirds say that the UN has been supportive of America’s goals and objectives around the world;
- 82 percent said it’s important for the U.S. to be a member of UNESCO;
- 87 percent said it’s important to be a member of the World Food Program; and
- 92 percent said it’s important to be a member of the World Health Organization.
For a memo detailing the full results of the polling, click here.
To listen to a teleconference call discussing the polling results, click here.