U.S. Participation in the
66th United Nations General Assembly
“There are different ways of defining and structuring and institutionalizing a democracy, and it is important for us to be conscious of the need to promote democracy and freedom but the humility to recognize that different countries have different backgrounds, different cultures, different histories. We see some very vigorous democracies around the world, including in Asia. We see other countries experimenting with various forms of democratic activities like local elections and opening up more to the internet, more freedom of expression or assembly…Yes, [democracy] is a Western word, but it reflects universal aspirations and rights, and therefore, people everywhere should be able to work toward its realization, and the United States, as the oldest existing democracy, should be working to help people achieve that.”
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
September 22, 2011, New York, New York