New “Declaration of Principles” from the Atlantic Council

Declaration of Principles for Freedom, Prosperity, and Peace

From the Atlantic Council, Munich National Security Conference, February 17, 2019

We, citizens, former officials, and representatives of governments and private entities, united by common values, have agreed as follows:

THE PRESENT CHALLENGE FOR ALL NATIONS

For seven decades, free nations have drawn upon common principles to advance freedom, increase prosperity, and secure peace. The resulting order, built on the foundation of democratic values and human dignity, has brought better lives for our citizens and billions of people around the world.

But the international system must rise to meet new challenges. New technologies are transforming societies. In many of our nations, stagnant wages, income disparities, and uneven benefits from global trade are leading many to question free market economics and the value of engagement in the world. Increased migration is fueling concerns about job security and national identity.

Around the world, politicians are exploiting these challenges, denigrating the rule of law, and undermining faith in democracy. Autocrats and extremists are attacking these principles, oppressing their own people, threatening security, and contending that might makes right.

Yet, free peoples have met greater challenges in the past, and we can master those in our time.

Innovations in communications, energy, health, and more yet to come are opening possibilities unimaginable before. Entrepreneurship based on freedom and new ideas can drive prosperity. Empowered men and women can address social problems from the bottom up. Governments that answer to their citizens and respect the rule of law can best address inequity, correct injustice, and serve the good of all.

Free nations must adapt and change. Yet our principles remain sound because they reflect the common aspirations of the human spirit. Societies that respect these principles are better placed to produce security and prosperity. Nations that uphold them are more likely to work together in peace. And authoritarians who stifle enterprise, dispense arbitrary justice, and abuse their people ultimately will fail.

Inspired by the inalienable rights derived from our ethics, traditions, and faiths, we commit ourselves to seek a better future for our citizens and our nations. We will defend our values, overcome past failures with new ideas, answer lies with truth, confront aggression with strength, and go forward with the confidence that our principles will prevail.

We call on all who are willing to join us in this common cause.

SEVEN STATEMENTS OF COMMON CAUSE

1. Freedom and Justice

We affirm the right of all people to live in free and just societies, where fundamental rights are protected under the rule of law.

2. Democracy and Self-Determination

We affirm the right of all people to make decisions about their own affairs through elected governments that reflect their consent, free from foreign interference.

3. Peace and Security

We affirm the right of all people to live in peace, free from threats of aggression, terrorism, oppression, crimes against humanity, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

4. Free Markets and Equal Opportunity

We affirm the right of all people to engage in economic activity based on free market principles, with equal opportunity to contribute to and the ability to share in the benefits of national prosperity.

5. An Open and Healthy Planet

We affirm the right of all people to enjoy free and open access to the global commons and a safe and healthy planet.

Governments, as well as private entities and individuals where they are able, have a responsibility to:

>> reduce the risk of damage to the global climate or environment caused by nature or human activity
>> refrain from undue interference with freedom of navigation in the air, seas, and outer space, or with access to cyberspace
>> while harnessing their benefits, seek to mitigate potentially dangerous or unethical applications of advanced technology
>> while protecting their national identity and controlling migration over their borders, provide refuge for those fleeing from persecution or violence, and respect the rights of all people living and working in their nations

6. The Right of Assistance

We affirm the right of national sovereignty, while recognizing that sovereignty obligates governments to uphold these principles.

7. Collective Action

We affirm the right of all people to cooperate in support of these principles and to work together to advance them.

THE TASKS AHEAD OF ALL NATIONS

Principles are not self-executing. Working with all who are ready to join us, we will develop a plan of action to implement these principles and advance our common goals.

We call on individuals, institutions, corporations, and governments in our own nations and around the world to advance these principles and create a more effective and responsive set of global rules. Our responsibilities rise commensurate with our influence.

We will advocate for these principles within our own nations, reaching out as broadly as possible to build public support.

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Warming World to Bring More Storms and Stagnant Air, Study Says | The Weather Channel

At a Glance ……...

>> Climate change is making summer weather systems weaker.
>> Weaker systems means pollution could linger in cities longer, instead of being cleared out quickly.
>> Heat waves could also last longer.
>> At the same time, thunderstorms are more destructive.