Ambassador McGuire, Deputy Permanent Observer, delivered a statement regarding the Freedom of Opinion and Expression to the Third Committee. In his address, he firmly asserted that freedom is ‘the highest gift enjoyed by the human person.’ While acknowledging the paramount importance of freedom, Ambassador McGuire emphasized that this right should always be grounded in and judged by truth. He pointed out how the manipulation of truth and its distortion into ideologies can lead to widespread death and destruction. He illustrated the far-reaching consequences of this phenomenon by referencing the rise of the Third Reich, highlighting how such freedoms can be exploited by tyrants to subjugate the minds and consciences of their populations.

Ambassador McGuire reasserted the significance of Freedom of Expression with a quote from St. Pope John Paul II: ‘This concrete liberty has its foundation in man’s very nature, the characteristic of which is to be free.’ This nuanced perspective from the Ambassador endorsed freedom while affirming the critical importance of a solid foundation in truth and the perils of ‘alternative’ truths. He concluded by urging delegates to protect the truth and to stand up against perversions of freedom.