YouSaid · the spoken record

Jeppe Kofod

lines on the record: 30
first: 2019-09-24
most recent: 2022-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Moving forward together on the twin agendas of those summits provides a way out of the current gridlock of global dysfunction, a way for us to live up to the expectations of future generations. And let us not forget that this remains the decade of action, so let us act.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Denmark fully supports the Secretary- General’s vision and remains unwavering in its commitment to a revitalized multilateralism with the United Nations at its centre. We look forward to working with fellow Member States in translating that vision into reality. And we will do our part to ensure that we — as a collective — make the most of the upcoming sister summits: the Sustainable Development Goal summit in September 2023 and the Summit of the Future in 2024, because those two agendas — the 2030 Agenda and Our Common Agenda — are mutually reinforcing. The twin agendas and the sister summits provide us not only with a sense of direction, but also with the tools to get there if we work together.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“During the seventy-sixth session of the General Assembly, Denmark co-facilitated the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform. We will continue to advocate for reform towards a more accountable, representative, transparent and effective Council. That also means that, even as we call on fellow Member States to stand up for the Charter of the United Nations and its universal principles and aspirations, we must not settle for simply defending the status quo. We need to do more. We need to do better. And we need to do it together. The good news is that we know what needs to be done. The Secretary-General has presented us with a sobering analysis of the state of the world in Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) and presented a clear path forward.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We continue to support the implementation of the reforms, both financially and politically. Earlier this week, we launched the Pledge to Predictable Payments initiative. It is a small, yet pragmatic step, paving the way for a United Nations that is better able to act. We urge all delegations to help the United Nations help us all, by recommitting to the goal of making our payment patterns predictable and transparent. Giving the United Nations that predictable and transparent ability is a small act with no cost to us as individual Member States, but it is of significant value to the United Nations ability to serve us. The United Nations, however, also needs more fundamental reform. In particular, it needs a Security Council that better reflects the world of today.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“And we must do so on the basis of partnership and dialogue. We pursue cooperation where all voices are heard. We seek honest conversations with partners about the challenges we face. And we work to find ways of confronting them together. That is the spirit of cooperation, and we hope to bring that spirit also to the Security Council. Our candidature is a natural extension of our long-standing and unwavering commitment to multilateralism in general and to the United Nations in particular. We all need a United Nations-system that is fit for the future and able to deliver effectively for today. Denmark is a long-time advocate for United Nations reforms — both at the highest level and in everyday workings of the Organization. We championed the reform of the United Nations development system.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We all need to put in the work and take responsibility to ensure that the trenches between us do not grow deeper. There is no free ride on multilateralism. We must not neglect to maintain and protect the global common that the United Nations is. Denmark is ready to do its part. Just a few hours ago, Denmark announced that it is running for a seat on the Security Council for the period of 2025 to 2026. If elected to the Security Council, Denmark will do all it can to help ensure that the Council fulfils its vital mandate of maintaining international peace and security. As a small country with a long history of global engagement and international solidarity, Denmark takes pride in being a bridge builder. We know — simply by virtue of our smallness — that if we want to achieve anything, we must work with others.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As we look towards COP 27, Denmark will also be among the founding members of the Systems Observations Financing Facility — an initiative taken by Secretary-General Guterres to ensure that early- warning services reach everyone in the next five years. It is a small step, but it is important, because it will make a difference in the lives of people and societies living on the brink. The United Nations most essential task is to save the world from the scourge of war. That might sound like a lofty ideal, but in essence it is about providing space for difficult conversations, restoring trust and finding spaces for common ground on those issues where we stand far apart. The United Nations needs to deliver on that, but the United Nations is all of us, and the United Nations is only as good as what we as Member States put into it.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In total, Denmark aims to contribute at least 1 per cent of the collective target of $100 billion dollars — way above our relative share — and we call on others to follow and to do so urgently. If a small country like Denmark can, the Group of 20 also can. We also need to step up and listen to those affected the most by climate-induced damages. We were proud to be the first contributor to the Santiago Network for Averting, Minimizing and Addressing Loss and Damage at the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 26), and this week we have followed up with several new initiatives for those hardest hit and the world’s poorest.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Denmark is one of very few countries that lives up to the United Nations official development assistance target of 0.7 per cent, and we have done so for more than 40 years. More than anything, today we need climate solidarity. The industrialized world must acknowledge its responsibility to deliver on the climate crisis. Climate solidarity means climate financing. As Denmark strives to reduce its own footprint, we have made major global commitments on climate adaptation and climate financing. We have massively scaled up Danish grant-based climate financing to at least $500 million a year by 2023. We are dedicating 60 per cent to adaptation in poor and vulnerable countries. And we are strengthening our efforts to mobilize public and private financing from other sources.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The lingering repercussions of the pandemic continue to inflict human and economic wounds on societies in the global South. Collectively, we must do more to address both the problems at hand and the fundamental imbalances of the world we share. And we must do it now, for the sake of both current and future generations. None of us can steer through pandemics or counter the climate crisis alone, and neither should we. In the twenty-first century, it is — or rather, it should be — clear to us all that the future we share depends on solidarity and on our ability to address and overcome the fault lines and divisions that increasingly drive us apart. Solidarity is an investment in prosperity, in security, in peace.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Nonetheless, we do not neglect other crises and global challenges. We know that our other joint challenges remain and have in many cases been aggravated by Russian acts of aggression. The most pressing crises of our time are all truly global. Climate, pandemic, violent conflict, instability, forced displacement, food insecurity — we feel them everywhere, regardless of where we live, in our everyday lives, as the price of food and energy rises, inequality increases and extreme weather and climate-induced disasters hit. Yet, even as those events affect us all, there is no doubt that they are felt most strongly by the most vulnerable, the most fragile and the poorest among us. Developing countries are — unfairly and unjustly — hit the hardest by the global crises of our time. That was and is clearly the case with the coronavirus disease.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We appeal to the rest of the world to see Russia’s aggression for what it is: an attempt to expand its own territory by force, which is completely unacceptable, not just to European neighbours, who rightly worry that we could be next in line if Putin has his way in Ukraine, but also for all who believe in the sanctity of the Charter and the principles of territorial integrity and the political independence of sovereign States. We appeal for the understanding of the General Assembly as a whole: that a war in our backyard, initiated by a permanent member of the Security Council and a nuclear Power, and the resulting influx of millions of Ukrainian refugees to Europe, will obviously exhaust a great deal of our resources and political focus. That will inevitably be the case until the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored and respected.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Let me therefore be clear: Russia’s invasion of a neighbouring State, President Putin’s blatant imperial ambitions and his horrifying allusions to using nuclear weapons are unprecedented threats against not only Europe, but international peace and security. We are extremely concerned. So, yes, we rally fellow States Members of the United Nations to take a stand for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, just as Denmark has stood up in support of the independence and sovereignty of other nations throughout the history of the United Nations, against apartheid and for decolonization. This is an appeal to all Member States to stand firmly on the side of the United Nations Charter, to fight back against an international disorder where might makes right.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Throughout the week, we have heard many perspectives on the Russian aggression. We have heard the concerns of fellow Member States geographically remote from the war, worried about being caught in the middle of a new Cold War. And we have heard the despair over the consequences on food supplies and energy prices worldwide. We acknowledge those concerns, but we also feel the need to stress that they are caused by the Russian aggression, not by international sanctions. Importantly, we have heard no one — apart from a few self-interested voices — denying the obvious: that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a direct violation of the United Nations Charter.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As we gather for the seventy-seventh opening of the General Assembly, the unique and indispensable convening power of the United Nations is evident for all of us to see. Having listened to addresses and statements from leaders from around the world, it is equally clear that the Charter of the United Nations continues to inspire and fill us with hope for a better world. And, still, our world is in crisis. We are, in the words of the Secretary-General, “gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction” (A/77/PV.4, p. 2). Six months ago, war erupted again in Europe. Unprovoked, Russia attacked Ukraine, a neighbour shared by Russia and Europe. The military aggression is a vicious onslaught on the people of Ukraine. Their resilience and bravery in the face of brutality is awe-inspiring.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In order to continue to be the place for solving the global issues of our times, the United Nations — all of us, that is — must deliver on climate action, sustainable development, human rights and peace and security. We know the challenges and we know what is needed. Now let us show the necessary will and act together.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Across all those reforms, we will focus on the ability to deliver on core challenges. Our embassies will engage in implementation and maintain a close dialogue with the United Nations teams on the ground. We urge the Secretary-General to ensure a human rights-based approach to all areas of the work of the United Nations. It is more important than ever to promote a culture of human rights within the United Nations. Alarms about serious human rights violations around the world must always be heard across the Secretariat and at its top as well. Our ability to deliver as “we the peoples” will determine whether people will continue to look to this Organization for answers and solutions.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We remain concerned about the serious threat to regional security posed by the recent attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. Denmark calls for dialogue, restraint and de-escalation. Denmark has contributed significantly to the Peacebuilding Fund and we will continue to support the training and education of United Nations peacekeepers. More than 50,000 Danish women and men have served in peacekeeping operations since the creation of the United Nations. Even as I speak, my countrymen and -women are hard at work in challenging operations from Mali to the Middle East, serving “we the peoples”. To deliver on global challenges, we need a strong United Nations that is fit for purpose. Denmark continues to be a steadfast supporter of all three reforms initiated by the Secretary-General. The next year will be about implementation.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As I mentioned, Denmark has worked in close partnership with Ethiopia on energy and with Kenya on gender equality, in two examples of the partnerships across regions that we need to ensure sustainable development for all. We must realize the full potential of all continents, including Africa, where a proud history, natural wealth and a young, energetic population form a powerful base for progress. Denmark will support closer partnerships between our continents on multiple issues, including trade, development and stabilization. All States have a responsibility to prevent conflict and protect people. Hiding behind sovereignty while committing crimes is not acceptable. That is why Denmark supports the Secretary-General’s focus on prevention, early response to conflicts and the inclusion of regional actors.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Sexual and reproductive health and rights are fundamental for all women and girls, no matter where they are born. The fight for the rights of women and girls is an everyday part of Denmark’s policy as a member of the Human Rights Council, in the General Assembly Hall and as an incoming member of the Commission on the Status of Women. Later this year, together with Kenya and the United Nations Population Fund, Denmark will proudly chair a conference in Nairobi to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Cairo Programme of Action. It is high time that we delivered on the promise made 25 years ago and ensured that these rights can become a reality for all, not just a privilege for some.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“And let us do more than that. Let us act. We owe it to them. It is our common responsibility. “We the peoples” means a just world where harmful social and economic inequalities are abolished, where decent jobs are available to all and universal human rights prevail without discrimination of any kind. It certainly does not mean “we the men”. Today I am addressing the Assembly as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, but also as a proud father of two wonderful little girls. Since we opened the seventy-fourth session, more than 300,000 girls have been born — ideally into a world of no discrimination, but in reality into a world where actively promoting gender equality and the right of every woman to make decisions about her own body is seen as a battleground.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Technological advancements, not least in the private sector, have provided extraordinary tools and possibilities. But only together can the public and private sectors lift future generations to levels of education unimaginable today. Not only because it is right, but because we need the innovative and pioneering thinking of future generations to ensure a world that continues to prosper. To quote a young Danish delegate who attended the Youth Climate Summit last Saturday, “We want you to hear us when we say we want to be part of the solution. We know our climate is threatened, we know what needs to be done. But we also know that none of us can make the needed changes on our own.” Let us show the hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of young people who have taken to the streets recently to protest for climate action that we are listening.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“With the aim of creating carbon-neutral vessels as early as 2030, the Coalition is bringing together the entire value chain. We must ensure that the ships connecting our world are not a danger to our planet. But partnerships must not only be built across sectors and across borders. They must also be forged across generations. We must include young people, and we must empower them and hear their voices. We must enable their action so that they can shoulder their part of the responsibility to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. And our youth will deliver if they are given access to the quality education we promised them. They will need an education not only to learn but also, as the Secretary-General has said, to learn to learn.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Partnerships with all relevant actors are crucial if we want to meet the ambitious goals that we have agreed to so that we can meet a deadline that has been set not by us, but by the planet. In true partnership, Denmark intends to work with the international investment community to mobilize much- needed private capital for green energy by 2020. At the Climate Action Summit, we were proud to announce that Danish pension funds are also taking action, committing the Danish people’s hard-earned savings to significant new international green-energy investments. We also announced our intention to double our support to the Green Climate Fund. And our industries are committed too. The Getting to Zero Coalition, which includes the Danish shipping company Maersk and other partners, illustrates how shipping is showing leadership.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We need to electrify the industries that today rely on fossil fuels. But let me be clear. Almost 1 billion people are currently living without electricity. The clean- energy transition will be neither socially sustainable nor fair if we leave those people in the dark. We have to fulfil the promise of SDG 7 on delivering affordable and clean energy to all. We must leave no one behind on our path to a carbon-neutral world, at peace with the planet. Nor can we address climate change effectively without protecting the natural environment. Deforestation and forest fires in the Amazon and across the planet are global climate crises and must be addressed as such. Denmark is committed to reducing deforestation and is ready to assist if needed and requested. While Governments must lead in this journey, we cannot walk alone.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Denmark has set one of the most ambitious climate targets in the world, a 70 per cent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality with net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Make no mistake, that will not be easy. We have a massive task ahead of us. But Denmark is determined to be a leader in the fight against climate change. Denmark would like to thank the Secretary-General for hosting the Climate Action Summit. We were proud and honoured to co-lead the energy transition track for the Summit. Together with Ethiopia and Sustainable Energy for All, and joined by a cross-regional coalition, we have focused our energy on energy. The reason is obvious. Energy accounts for roughly 80 per cent of global carbon-dioxide emissions. We need to scale up renewable energy. We need to increase energy efficiency.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We clearly live in a world where solidarity is needed, and not just words of solidarity. For more than 40 years, Denmark has delivered on its promise made in this Hall (resolution 2626 (XXV)), providing at least 0.7 percent of our wealth in official development assistance. We are proud to maintain that dedication on the road to 2030. “We the peoples” are the first words of the Charter of the United Nations. Our efforts must similarly start and end with the peoples. That means doing our utmost to solve what the Secretary-General has rightly called the defining issue of our time. Getting the climate under control can no longer be the problem of the next generation or even the next Government. It is up to us. The time is now, and action is needed.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We must ensure that everyone carries the burden, especially those with the broadest shoulders. We must fight for fair and sustainable globalization. That requires a global approach. Denmark believes in multilateralism and in the inherent value of universally agreed rights, standards and obligations. The SDGs and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change serve as our common point of departure. They prove that we can still deliver ambitions and plans as a global community. But now multilateralism must deliver more than plans and ambitions. We must deliver action. The SDGs are not only a vision of the world we want. They are also a blueprint for how we get there. It remains the primary responsibility of countries to deliver the SDGs at home, but no one should face the responsibility alone or find that a sincere request for help goes unanswered.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“While it is paradoxical that such ideas are thriving precisely when they are least needed, it would be a critical mistake to dismiss them as irrational or irrelevant. We, the decision-makers of the world, must understand the realities and perceptions that have caused such ideas to grow. The rules-based international order has fostered globalization, giving many of us a world of opportunities and social progress and a belief that tomorrow will be better than today. Enormous wealth has been created, but it is not fairly shared. Not all have shared in the benefits of globalization or been shielded from its negative sides. When some of the wealthiest companies and individuals in the world break their societal contract, when they do not pay their fair share of taxes, how can we in fairness ask those of lesser means to do so?”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Denmark is an old nation, full of new ideas. We may not be a big country, but we have big ambitions. In today’s world I believe we need both new ideas and big ambitions if we are to solve the issues facing us, including climate change, delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring fair globalization. We live in a world smaller than ever before, a world where our futures are bound together as at no other time in human history, an unpredictable world where the growing interdependency of nations and peoples has made international cooperation more necessary than ever before. And yet today’s headlines are overflowing with ideas of division, exit, unilateralism and self-interest.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)