Norway, 2014

The leaders who gathered

at the United Nations Climate Summit have taken

important steps to mobilize action and ambition on

climate change. Now we need to make sure that the

positive results are followed through and expanded as

we prepare for an agreement in Paris next year.

When we meet at the General Assembly next year,

we will adopt the new set of global goals for our common

future — the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

They must build on the success of the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs). They must be realistic

and ambitious. Like the MDGs, the SDGs should be

few in number, concrete and measurable. Meanwhile,

achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals will

create a solid foundation for sustainable development.

As co-chair of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s MDG

Advocacy Group, I will use every opportunity to help

build that foundation over the remaining 462 days until

the deadline.

We must accelerate our efforts, and to do so we

need to enter into broad partnerships that include the

private sector, civil society and Governments. We need

to make use of the best possible innovative solutions

and technologies. Governments and national political

leaders must take the lead and ensure local ownership.

At the same time, we must support the remarkable work

that many people are doing to implement the MDGs in

practice.

The frightening Ebola epidemic in West Africa

reminds us of the fragility of our progress and

development. We must build health-care systems that

can support courageous and determined individuals

like Josephine Finda Sellu. Ms. Sellu, the deputy nurse

matron at a Government hospital in Sierra Leone, lost

15 of her nurses to Ebola. Nevertheless, she never

stopped working in that death trap. She is a true fighter

for the MDGs.

Education, particularly for girls, is the superhighway

to ending poverty. Poverty, discrimination and the use

of force often prevent girls from getting the education

they are entitled to. Sexual violence, abductions and

deadly attacks are the most despicable ways in which

girls’ right to education is being violated. I condemn

the abductions of schoolgirls by Boko Haram in the

strongest possible terms. In the face of terrorists

threatening to deprive children of their right to

education, we should be inspired by Malala Yousafzai.

Malala brought to light the plight of the millions of

children around the world who are denied an education.

If one schoolgirl can take on the Taliban, then surely the

world community can defeat extremism and terrorism.

Terrorists and extremists are trying to stop us

from educating children. Peace is vital for achieving

universal primary education. The same can be said

for the other MDGs, not least the goal on reducing

poverty. That is why we must focus on conflict-affected

countries. A girl growing up in Syria today cannot look

forward to going to school, because there is no school

to go to. A pregnant teenage girl in South Sudan will

not get the maternal health services she needs because

it is too risky for health workers to travel. From the

Security Council Chamber to the modest homes in the

Swat Valley in Pakistan, we can all help to end poverty

by promoting peace, but all those different efforts at the

global, regional, national and local levels must work in

concert.

It has been 70 years since a group of leaders met

in Washington, D. C., to discuss the creation of the

United Nations. One of the most fundamental tenets

of the new world order created in 1945 was respect

for internationally recognized borders. Norway

condemns Russia’s violations of international law and

its continuing destabilization of eastern Ukraine. Any

settlement of the conflict must uphold international law

and respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The

ceasefire agreed on 5 September must be respected and

the provisions of the agreement implemented on the

ground. Russia bears a particular responsibility in that

regard.

The Security Council is mandated to maintain peace

and security, but has failed to address the situation in

Syria and Ukraine effectively. We know why. Some of

the big Powers still believe in outdated ideas of zero-

sum games and spheres of influence. We are hopeful

that the Council will continue to stand united against

the threat of the terrorist group known as the Islamic

State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). We support the

United States initiative and sponsored Security Council

resolution 2178 (2014) on foreign terrorist fighters. We

encourage the countries of the region to take a leading

role in fighting ISIL.

Armed conflict and civil war have created man-

made humanitarian disasters in Syria, Iraq, South

Sudan, the Central African Republic and Somalia.

Earlier this year, Norway hosted a humanitarian donor

conference for South Sudan, and we will shortly

co-host a donor conference to address the aftermath of

the conflict in Gaza. Donor conferences are important,

but we need to look beyond the emergencies. We need

to build on and improve the current system, when we

meet for the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. We

must make sure that humanitarian aid supports not only

short-term recovery, but also long-term development.

Besides, long-term development cooperation should

help countries prevent, prepare for, withstand and

recover from humanitarian crises in the future.

International peace, national security, social

development and individual prosperity can best be

fostered under a system of good democratic governance

and human rights. Efforts to promote respect for

human rights can help prevent armed conflict and mass

atrocities. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi,

herself a leading human rights defender, stated in her

Nobel lecture that:

“[i]f the twenty-first century wishes to free itself

from the cycle of violence, acts of terror and war,

there is no other way except by understanding

and putting into practice every human right for

all mankind, irrespective of race, gender, faith,

nationality or social status.”

I agree with that.

Human rights is one of the three pillars of the

United Nations, based on the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, adopted by the Assembly on

10 December 1948. Norway endorses the Secretary-

General’s “Human Rights Up Front” initiative, which

places the protection of human rights at the heart of

United Nations strategies and operational activities.

The United Nations needs a strong and assertive human

rights pillar. Only if we fund the human rights pillar

properly can we achieve the results that we need and

want from our world Organization.

The promotion and protection of human rights is

first and foremost the responsibility of States. We are,

however, facing large implementation gaps. Attacks,

threats, intimidation and reprisals against human

rights defenders are increasingly being reported. New

laws restricting freedom of expression and the work

of civil society are being adopted. Discrimination

is widespread, particularly against minorities, such

as indigenous people and lesbian, gay, bisexual and

transgender persons.

The rule of law and civil liberties are also

fundamental to the development of the private sector

and attracting investment. Moreover, we know that

enabling women to fully enjoy their social and economic

rights unleashes tremendous economic growth.

We must stay focused on accelerating progress

towards the MDGs during the remaining 462 days. We

must let ourselves be inspired by those who serve at

the front line of those efforts, like Ms. Sellu and other

doctors and nurses who are risking their lives to treat

patients with Ebola.

As we set our future development agenda beyond

2015, we must also make some adjustments. Peace

and stability must be included. Climate issues must be

addressed. Good, democratic governance, with respect

for the rule of law and human rights, will be crucial for

achieving sustainable development for us all. And all

that means, quite simply, is to be doing the right things

right.