Washington—Senator Evan Bayh today praised Dr. Susan Rice, President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in his testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Bayh said that Rice “will help the United States strengthen the effectiveness of the United Nations, modernize it, and make it more capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century.”

Bayh’s full statement is below:

Chairman Kerry, Ranking Member Lugar, and other distinguished members of the Foreign Relations Committee, thank you for this opportunity today to introduce a public servant for whom I have great respect and confidence, Dr. Susan Rice.

Our nation faces a set of formidable transnational challenges that threaten the security and prosperity of our people in the 21st century.

Terrorism…. Radicalization and extremism…. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction…. Global climate change…. Poverty and disease.

These are problems that threaten our people but cannot be solved by our government alone. The U.N. offers an important vehicle to assert American global leadership through collective action with other nations around the world.

President-Elect Obama has rightly noted that the United Nations is an imperfect but indispensable institution for advancing America’s security.

In the 21st century, our goal must be to make the United Nations a more effective mechanism to work with other nations to advance our interests in combating common threats.

Mr. Chairman, I believe we need an Ambassador to the United Nations who has a demonstrated ability to represent the United States to the international community in a credible, forthright and influential manner.

I believe Dr. Susan Rice is uniquely qualified to do exactly that. Throughout her career in public service, she has served with distinction. Her service includes key roles on the National Security Council as director for international organizations and peacekeeping—and senior director for African Affairs.

In 1997, Dr. Rice became one of the youngest assistant secretaries of state in American history when she was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. In this role, she oversaw 43 U.S. embassies, 5,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $260 million.

At a time when the United Nations is in great need of internal reform, Dr. Rice has proven that she is an adept and capable manager. She will help the United States strengthen the effectiveness of the United Nations, modernize it, and make it more capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century.

That means implementing an agenda of management reform and working to strengthen its program capacities. We are asking the United Nations now to do more than ever to promote global security, yet we have not aligned capabilities with the mandates that we have given U.N. missions.

Dr. Rice has demonstrated the intellectual heft required of this position. As a senior fellow at the Brooking Institution, she has written extensively on multilateral diplomacy and how to deal with the security challenges posed by failed states. She will represent America’s interests on the world stage thoughtfully and vigorously.

Mr. Chairman, let me just say: I have seen her in action. And I am pleased to report to the panel today that, if confirmed, she will be a formidable negotiator and a skilled diplomat on this nation’s behalf.

Last February, Dr. Rice and I sat together on a foreign policy panel at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum in Doha. She attended as a representative of candidate Obama and I represented Senator Clinton. Dr. Rice offered a spirited defense of American prerogatives and a keen understanding of the importance of leveraging buy-in from U.N. member-states to tackle global security challenges.

Dr. Rice understands the myriad challenges facing the United States. And she is prepared to work with our allies around the globe to marshal global opinion and action to ensure our country’s security.

She also carries a currency invaluable in this endeavor: the ear and full confidence of our next President.

The United States will never ask permission to defend ourselves or our allies. Yet the last eight years proves that there is great peril in acting alone in a dangerous world. We do not seek alliances because we are weak, but because acting with our friends and partners around the world makes us stronger.

It is important to use the United Nations as a vehicle to promote peace and stability, the prevention and resolution of conflict, and the stabilization of conflict zones once war has ended. It is in our interests to make the U.N. more effective in this regard.

President Elect-Obama has outlined an ambitious agenda with respect to climate change, non-proliferation, poverty reduction, and strengthening the capacity of weak and failing states. All of these elements can and should be addressed in the U.N. as well as in other contexts.

Dr. Susan Rice will strive to make the United Nations a more effective mechanism to advance our national security and meet global challenges.

I have high confidence that, if confirmed, Dr. Rice can help build new bridges to nations with whom we do not always agree—while renewing America’s leadership in the world.

Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Lugar, it is my distinct pleasure to recommend that this committee confirm Dr. Susan Rice as our next ambassador to the United Nations.

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