Norway, 2013

We are living in times of rapid

change. Global and regional dynamics are transforming

global governance. A changing world will inevitably

change the United Nations. But we, the Members of this

great Organization, can influence the direction of the

change. In order to do so, however, we must set strategic

priorities. We should develop an agile multilateral

system for the twenty-first century.

The architects of the United Nations were in many

ways ahead of their time. The Charter, in its Chapters

VI and VIII, foresaw a world where the United Nations

should safeguard international peace and security, the

settlement of disputes and the promotion of common

interests at the regional, as much as at the global, level.

By 1945, however, there were few established regional

mechanisms. In other words, the Charter’s provisions

for regional arrangements were largely aspirational.

In today’s world, regional organizations and

arrangements are increasingly proving their relevance.

Economic, social and political integration is taking

place at the regional level. Cooperation is not only

about outcomes, but also about processes. Practical

cooperation can lay the foundation for strategic trust

and shared values.

It was only after the past century’s two horrific

wars that my own continent chose close integration.

That was instrumental in the creation of a peaceful

Europe. For that historic achievement, the European

Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo last

year.

The African Union (AU) has seen its continent

through 50 transformative years. Freedom came at a

high price. Yet, Africa has never been more prosperous

than it is today. We see economic growth, improving

governance and enhanced regional cooperation.

From Somalia to Mali, the African Union and its

subregional partners continue to prove their relevance.

The African Union is, beyond doubt, becoming one of

the United Nations most important regional partners. I

commend the AU for its dedicated efforts, and I want

to express my deepest condolences for the tragic loss

of life in the heinous terrorist attacks in Nairobi. We

must never allow terrorists to set the agenda. Hence

our efforts to work with the AU to promote peace and

stability in Somalia at this crucial moment must be

redoubled.

In recent years, Norway has worked with the people

of Colombia to lay the foundations for lasting peace

between its Government and the Fuerzas Armadas

Revolucionarias de Colombia movement. In doing so,

we have seen the strong commitment of Colombia’s

neighbours. There, as everywhere else, we have learned

that peace cannot just be established within one country

alone; it has to be rooted in a regional context.

In South-East Asia, the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN) is becoming the source, as

well as an architect, of regional stability. I commend

ASEAN for its constructive role in supporting the

democratic reform process in Myanmar. Myanmar will

even preside over ASEAN next year, which in many

ways is a testimony to the organization’s adaptability.

Organizations such as ASEAN have also taken

upon themselves the development of multilateral

responses to regional challenges, including those

pertaining to maritime security. Those strides are not

only of regional importance, but are important to us all.

The freedom and safety of the seas is one of the most

important public goods in an interconnected world.

Just like in South-East Asia, Norway and our

fellow Arctic States have built our deepened maritime

cooperation on one of the most salient organizing

principles of the United Nations — the United Nations

Convention on the Law of the Sea. And regions reach

out to each other. Earlier this year, Norway acceded

to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast

Asia. Likewise, again during the spring, China,

Japan, India, the Republic of Korea and Singapore

all joined the Arctic Council as observers. In doing

so, they subscribed to the founding principles of the

Arctic Council, principles that, yet again, are a direct

reflection of a key a United Nations norm.

Where I live, we observe global warming at close

quarters. As the polar ice cap melts, we are reminded of

our shared responsibility for saving the planet’s climate.

Today, the Arctic Ocean is opening up to human

activities in ways hard to imagine only a few years

ago. Over the past decade, we have strived to develop

forward-looking strategies for the safe management of

the new maritime crossroads between Asia, Europe and

North America.

The emergence of regional institutions as a feature

of global governance is in fact good news for the United

Nations. We need a United Nations that can be a catalyst

that supports and encourages regional developments,

which — and as long as — they reinforce our common

global and multilateral agenda. We must acknowledge

that trend. We must revisit the Charter of the United

Nations, in particular its Chapters VI and VIII, and

seek to identify the opportunities and potential pitfalls

it represents for the United Nations.

The Middle East has yet to find an effective regional

architecture. It is also a part of the world that is causing

considerable concern these days. Israel and Palestine

are facing a moment of truth. This month marks 20

years since the signing of the Oslo Accords. We have

witnessed positive achievements on the ground. State

institutions have been built and are ready for statehood.

But for many years, a political horizon has been missing.

Time is running out for a negotiated two-State solution.

But now, as Palestinian and Israeli leaders have

returned to negotiations, hope is renewed. This

afternoon, in the Conference Building, I presided

over a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee

for the Coordination of the International Assistance

to Palestinians, the international donor group for

Palestine. The donors reaffirmed their commitment

to providing necessary assistance to the Palestinian

Authority through the current transition to statehood.

This may be the last chance — a chance we cannot

afford to miss.

As we speak the horrors in Syria are continuing.

Thousands upon thousands of children, women and

men are being killed and maimed. Millions are fleeing

their homes. The use of chemical weapons is utterly

unacceptable and is a grave violation of international

law. Their further use must be effectively prevented.

Those responsible must be brought to justice and the

case referred to the International Criminal Court.

The Syrian crisis as such can be resolved only

through a political solution. The Security Council must

now live up to the responsibility that we, the Members

of the United Nations, have entrusted in it. We must

seize the momentum created by the United States-

Russian agreement. Humanitarian access must be

ensured by all parties and to all areas. The bloodshed in

Syria must come to an end.

Frustrated by Syria, many have criticized the United

Nations for its inability to act. However, we should not

lose sight of the United Nations many achievements.

Every single day, the United Nations provides shelter

for refugees, vaccinates children, promotes maternal

health and stabilizes fragile States. Evolving norms

of human security have placed new issues on the

agenda. Children and armed conflict, women, peace

and security and the protection of civilians are recent

examples of the important normative role of the United

Nations.

Faced with a scarcity of resources accentuated by

a global economy under pressure, we should increase,

not decrease, the flexibility of the Secretariat and

the Secretary-General to run the Organization. In

autumn of 2012, the Assembly decided that the 2014-

2015 budget should be cut by $100 million. Reducing

the budget while increasing the number of tasks is a

recipe for a weaker, not a stronger, United Nations. The

Assembly must be coherent in its policies. The role of

the Assembly should be to provide guidance, not to

micromanage.

In conclusion, to meet the regional and global

challenges of our time, we, the Member States, must

work together to fulfil the aspirations and potential of

the Charter of the United Nations. The efficiency of this

great Organization depends upon its ability to innovate

and to adapt to changing circumstances.