Going abroad to study as a teenager, and joining the United Nations at 22, confirmed my ease with the world of the frequent flyer. I saw the average airport terminal as a familiar haven, like a friend's sitting room. But 9/11 changed all that.

The United Nations is the preeminent institution of multilateralism. It provides a forum where sovereign states can come together to share burdens, address common problems, and seize common opportunities. The U.N. helps establish the norms that many countries - including the United States - would like everyone to live by.

There is no such thing as the United Nations.

I'm a member of the US committee o the United Nations.

The United States has always been a leader in the aerospace industry, but as Third World nations are developing greater capabilities in space, we're going to lose our lead.

The United Nations system is still the best instrument for making the world less fragile.