Sweden, 2010

May I start by pointing

out that Sweden aligns itself fully with the written

statement of the European Union (EU), which will

soon be distributed to all Member States.

By signing the Charter of the United Nations we

have all pledged to combine our efforts towards the

shared goals of international peace and security, human

rights, respect for international law, and economic and

social advancement. Implicit in that pledge is the

principle of shared responsibility. If we are to move

beyond divisions to find common solutions to global

problems, every country will need to assume its share

of responsibility. Last week, world leaders met in this

room to confirm their determination to achieve the

Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Progress

made over the 10 years since the adoption of the

Millennium Declaration has been mixed. The overall

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trend is positive, but critical areas are lagging behind.

This is particularly true for Goal 5 on maternal health.

Sweden will continue to do its part to achieve the

Millennium Development Goals and is one of the

countries contributing the largest share of its national

income as official development assistance. But

development assistance can only complement — and

never replace — development efforts based on genuine

national ownership. Thus, we have a shared

responsibility, developed and developing countries alike,

to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The development and prosperity of poor countries

to a large extent depend on their ability to integrate

into the global economy. The fact that protectionism

has largely been kept at bay during the most severe

recession since the 1930s is therefore a major

achievement. Robust international rules for open trade

and investment are key. Free trade benefits rich and

poor countries alike. The regions that have been most

successful in eradicating poverty are also those where

countries trade the most. In order to strengthen the

trading capacity of the poorest countries, aid for trade

can play an important role. Completion of the Doha

Round must remain a shared first priority, but should

not prevent complementary free trade and investment

arrangements.

The devastating natural disasters in Haiti and

Pakistan have underlined the importance of a well-

functioning and well-coordinated international

humanitarian system. It is only through joint efforts

and shared responsibility that the international

community can ensure quick and effective responses to

people in need. The Office for the Coordination of

Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) plays a crucial role in

this respect. Sadly, we see a global trend of increasing

humanitarian needs. It is therefore of utmost importance

that we continue to strengthen the humanitarian system

as a whole, in particular OCHA. In parallel, we need to

focus more on preparedness and prevention to reduce

long-term vulnerability to disasters.

Climate change is clearly one of the greatest

challenges of our generation, affecting the world and

particularly poor countries in unpredictable and

devastating ways. Even if we meet the two-degree

target set by the United Nations, disasters will continue

to be a reality. Developed and developing countries

alike share the responsibility to ward off this threat to

our planet by working towards concrete climate goals.

Developed countries, as major emitters, bear a large

share of the responsibility for reducing emissions and

for providing funding, but actions must be taken by all

countries. The example of Sweden shows that it is

possible to achieve both emissions reductions and

economic growth — there is no contradiction.

Together we have a shared responsibility as the

guardians of human rights, enshrined in the United

Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration and the

relevant conventions. Without respect for human rights

and fundamental freedoms, all other progress will be

incomplete. The ultimate responsibility lies with

States. It is for us to put ideals into practice. The

Human Rights Council needs to use all its tools to

address the substance of its mandate: human rights

violations. For that Council to be relevant, its members

must meet the membership criteria of fulfilling their

international human rights obligations. Much remains

to be done. The death penalty continues to be applied

extensively across the world, in some cases even

against juveniles, and often without a credible legal

process. As we have recently seen, in some countries a

woman can even be sentenced to death by stoning for

alleged adultery, and both men and women can be

executed for no other reason than their sexual

orientation. The responsibility to stop such barbaric

acts lies firmly with us, the governments. Gender

equality remains one of the greatest challenges to

human rights and democracy. We therefore welcome

the establishment of the United Nations Entity for

Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

(UN Women) and believe it will further the cause of

gender equality.

Democracy and human rights are not just

mutually supporting; one cannot be said to truly exist

without the other. The right to participate in a

democratic system of government is indeed in itself a

human right. Although we have seen democracy spread

to new countries, a large part of the world’s population

is still denied the right to participate in free elections.

We call upon the Government of Myanmar to make its

November election free, fair and inclusive. In this

context, we reiterate our call for the release of the

political prisoners and detainees, including Daw Aung

San Suu Kyi.

Freedom of expression is a core human right and

a prerequisite of democracy. In this era of information

technology, communication has been revolutionized.

New technologies can assist in making Governments

more transparent and can stimulate citizens to take a

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more active role in the democratic governance of their

countries. Yet, technology alone cannot make

information and expression of opinion free. Access to

technology is needed as a catalyst for human rights.

The harassment and jailing of journalists and bloggers

must stop. The situation in countries such as China,

Viet Nam, Egypt, Myanmar, Cuba, the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea and Iran is deeply

worrying. It is important that the international

community address the issue of violations of freedom

of expression, also in connection with new

technologies and with greater vigour than in the past.

Sweden is concerned about continued human

rights violations in the Sudan, not least in Darfur. Full

cooperation with the International Criminal Court is an

obligation under international law. The upcoming

referendum on the status of Southern Sudan will be of

crucial importance to the country’s future. We must

spare no effort to make sure that it is credible and to

support the parties in reaching an agreement on post-

referendum arrangements. In this process the United

Nations has a key role to play, together with the

African Union.

The recently reported cases of sexual violence in

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with shocking

news of hundreds of rapes of women and children, are

not isolated incidents. They are part of a pattern of

conflict-related crimes that have been carried out with

impunity over many years. As so often in conflict

situations, women and children are the most vulnerable

groups; as so often in peace processes, women are the

most ignored. A lasting peace calls for the

empowerment and equal participation of women in

negotiations and decision-making. Lasting peace can

never be achieved while there is impunity. It is high

time to fully implement Security Council resolutions

1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, and

1820 (2008), on sexual violence in conflict situations.

Sweden welcomes the appointment of a Special

Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual

Violence in Conflict.

The international community has agreed on the

responsibility to protect populations from genocide,

war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against

humanity. We need to intensify our efforts and develop

the right tools to ensure the full realization of the

responsibility to protect, both as sovereign States and

as part of the international community. Sweden fully

supports the Secretary-General’s efforts to strengthen

the early warning capability within the Secretariat.

Few aspects of our cooperation through the

United Nations illustrate shared responsibility better

than our joint role in preventing and managing

conflicts, and keeping and building sustainable peace.

Important steps have been taken to improve global

peacekeeping. We welcome the New Horizon Initiative

as a way of further enhancing the capability of the

United Nations to conduct demanding and complex

peacekeeping missions worldwide. Much work remains

to be done in the areas of conflict prevention and

peacebuilding. We need to increase the capacity of the

United Nations to help countries in transition from war

to lasting peace, and to provide relevant support — not

least through the Peacebuilding Commission and the

Peacebuilding Fund — for their efforts to foster peace

and rebuild State and society. Similarly, the United

Nations must have the right tools to help prevent

countries from lapsing into conflict in the first place.

This is a central challenge for the United Nations and a

key priority for the coming decade.

We welcome the increasingly important role that

the African Union plays, not least in peacekeeping

operations in Africa. Cooperation between the African

Union and both the United Nations and the European

Union has been important in both the Sudan and

Somalia. Earlier this year, Sweden led the European

Union’s anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia,

a mission that provides security for humanitarian

transports of the World Food Programme into Somalia.

Furthermore, the European Union, in close cooperation

with the African Union, is conducting training in

Uganda of the Transitional Federal Government

security forces. The African Union has made a

courageous and considerable contribution to security in

Mogadishu. Yet over the past year we have witnessed

some of the most violent fighting in Mogadishu and in

parts of south-central Somalia. Together with the

Transitional Federal Institutions, we now need to

prepare and plan for the end of the transitional

arrangements by August next year. In this process,

strong United Nations leadership will be crucial.

The United Nations plays a crucial role in the

efforts of the international community to contribute to

secure, stable and democratic development in

Afghanistan. At the Kabul International Conference on

Afghanistan, held in July, there was a renewed

commitment by the Afghan authorities and the

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international community to enhance national ownership

in this process. Together, the United Nations, the

European Union and other international actors have to

show continued strong resolve in assisting the Afghan

people in building a more peaceful and democratic

society. To this effect, Sweden will continue to contribute

to civilian and military operations in Afghanistan, while

increasing our development assistance.

In the Middle East the responsibility for the

success of direct negotiations lies with the two parties.

But we all share an interest in, and must contribute to,

a two-State solution with Israel and Palestine living

side by side in peace and security. We deeply regret the

Israeli decision not to extend the moratorium on

settlements. The context of direct negotiations, as

stated in European Union Council conclusions, must be

that negotiations should be based on the pre-1967

borders, that settlements are illegal, that all final status

issues are to be included in the negotiations —

including the status of Jerusalem as capital of two

States — and that both parties are to refrain from

provocative actions.

We strive for a world without nuclear weapons.

World leaders have made significant progress in

disarmament and non-proliferation efforts in the past

year. The New START agreement is of great

importance, but there is scope for further reductions,

not least of non-strategic nuclear arsenals. The spread

of nuclear weapons must be stopped. The Action Plan

adopted at the Review Conference of the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in May,

covering the three mutually reinforcing pillars of the

NPT, must be implemented and fully respected.

The early entry into force of the Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is as urgent as ever.

The unacceptable deadlock in the Conference on

Disarmament must come to an end.

We are deeply concerned that the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea has continued its

withdrawal from the NPT, even having tested two

nuclear devices, and that Iran has been conducting

activities in violation of its NPT commitments. It is of

vital importance that commitments under the NPT be

honoured.

The control of conventional arms is also an

urgent priority. The illicit or uncontrolled spread of

such weapons contributes to regional and international

instability, maiming and killing thousands. We must

seize the opportunity and strive together to find the

political will to agree on regulating mechanisms, such

as is currently being discussed in the form of an arms

trade treaty.

The European Union is a strong supporter of the

United Nations. Following the entry into force of the

Lisbon Treaty, the EU has established new permanent

structures for its external representation, taking over

functions previously carried out by the rotating

presidency. Ensuring that the EU can continue to

contribute effectively to the work of the United

Nations requires allowing its representatives to

participate actively in its proceedings in the capacity of

observer. We are looking forward to continued

cooperation with a view to ensuring the adoption of a

resolution to that effect as soon as possible.

Our countries are interconnected today in an

unprecedented way. In a globalized world, problems

such as climate change, natural disasters, disease,

drugs, terrorism and conflicts take on new proportions.

At the same time the alleviation of poverty, the fight

for human rights and democracy, and economic

development remain as relevant as ever. We need to

cooperate in global structures and engage in various

forms of global governance to meet these challenges.

The United Nations is the only world body offering a

unique forum to address these problems in a

coordinated way. We need to continue to reform the

United Nations in order for it to fulfil its functions and

remain relevant. Only when every country assumes its

share of responsibility can the United Nations achieve

its full potential. Sweden will continue to be a strong

supporter of the United Nations and will assume its

share of our common responsibility.