YouSaid · the spoken record

Margot Wallström

lines on the record: 33
first: 2016-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
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

“As our world becomes more integrated, so do the challenges and threats we face. We cannot go it alone; we must stand together. Multilateralism is the only path to peace and prosperity.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Especially when we see that new technologies offer the opportunity to simultaneously reduce emissions and grow economies. Sweden is already proving that is possible and has set a goal of zero net greenhouse emissions by 2045. All countries must join the effort to achieve the decisive transformations needed to reduce emissions and prevent the worst effects of climate change from happening. With 160 States parties to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change so far, the global commitment remains strong. In his address on Tuesday, the Secretary-General told us that we must act as one, because only together, as united nations, can we fulfil the promise of the Charter of the United Nations and advance human dignity for all. He is right. The expression “we are all in this together” has perhaps never been so apt.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Therefore, the deteriorating condition of our oceans must ring alarm bells for us all. Sweden was pleased to co-host, with Fiji, the Ocean Conference that took place in June. The multi-stakeholder participation and all the commitments made highlighted the fact that saving the oceans will require all sectors of society to play their part, and that they are ready to do so. The oceans are also affected by and, in return, affect our climate. We are already seeing the devastating impact of extreme weather events. Climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of such events. Left unchecked, climate change will wash away development gains and increase instability and conflict. To the few who still doubt the overwhelming evidence that climate change is real, I ask: are they really willing to take the chance?”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“First, I will address the Goal of reducing inequality. Globalization has opened the world, strengthened economic growth and lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty. However, we have failed to allocate the benefits of globalization equally. We must do better. As part of our contribution, in 2016 Sweden, together with an initial core group of States, businesses and trade unions, launched the Global Deal for Decent Work and Inclusive Growth. The Global Deal is a partnership developed with the International Labour Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with a focus on enhanced social dialogue and sound industrial relations, which are crucial to reducing inequality. The second Goal I would like to mention is that of healthy oceans and seas. Oceans connect us all. Without water, there is no life.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“All countries — rich and poor — share the responsibility of turning that promise into a reality for millions of people around the world. It will not be done by Governments alone. All stakeholders from across society have a part to play. Ensuring that the United Nations development system is transformed to support those efforts will be critical. Measuring our progress against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be essential, both for decision-making and accountability. Sweden has developed a set of national goals, linked to the SDGs and our national budget, which we are using to measure the development of our society. As we all know, the strength of the 2030 Agenda is in the inherent interlinkages between all 17 Goals. Each Goal is equally important and interdependent. Nonetheless, I would like to highlight two of those Goals.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Sweden is working tirelessly to put the women and peace and security agenda into action in all aspects of the Security Council’s work, from including gender reporting in mission mandates, to adding listing criteria for sexual and gender-based violence in sanctions regimes. Sweden’s feminist foreign policy is an agenda for change that is aimed at increasing rights, representation and resources for all women and girls, based on the reality of their lives. We urge all countries to form their own feminist policy and ensure that everyone — women, men, boys and girls — is treated equally. My third and last point regards our common responsibility for global development. The 2030 Agenda provides the pathways to achieve the peaceful, sustainable and equitable societies we want.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Lasting peace requires the involvement of the entire population, meaning that the full, equal and effective participation of women must be hardwired into all of our efforts towards sustaining peace. That brings me to my second point — women and peace and security. As a representative of the world’s first feminist Government, that issue is close to my heart. From speaking with many members of the Assembly, I realize that I am far from alone in my strong conviction that women’s participation in peace and security efforts is essential for sustainable peace. Ensuring women’s participation must be at the centre of the United Nations reform efforts.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Doing so will have implications for peace that go beyond the Holy Land and the Middle East itself. Perhaps the greatest threat to international peace and security is the unacceptable and repeated provocations of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in pursuit of a nuclear-weapons programme. We call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cease further testing, fulfil its international obligations and turn to a path of sincere dialogue on denuclearization. All States must implement the measures that have been decided upon by a united Security Council. Sanctions must be combined with political efforts to pave the way for a peaceful solution. We welcome the Secretary-General’s pledge to make his good offices available to that end.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In South Sudan, the civilian population has also borne the brunt of a nearly four-year, devastating conflict. I welcome the recent initiatives of South Sudan’s neighbours. I urge the Government and all other parties to increase humanitarian access, lay down their arms and engage in a meaningful process to end the conflict. We continue our long-standing engagement in trying to advance the Middle East peace process. As the Secretary-General said during his recent visit to the region, the two-State solution is the only way forward. Only a negotiated settlement between the parties and an end to the 50 years of occupation can achieve the goal of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. We need to resolve the conflict once and for all.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Nonetheless, we have to do more. The situation in Myanmar is a haunting example of where the root causes of conflict went unresolved, with tragic consequences. It is now urgent that the violence end and that the population be protected, human rights respected and a dignified return allowed. Humanitarian access is essential. Sweden supports the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. We urge the Myanmar Government to implement those recommendations without delay. In Syria, prevention also failed. The price paid by the country and its citizens has been unimaginable and horrific. Sweden will continue to work through the Council for nationwide humanitarian access and a political solution, which is the only option for long- term peace and a better future for Syria.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Sweden has made conflict prevention a central pillar of our Council membership. We have underscored the need for the Council to recognize the primacy of politics in peacekeeping mandates and the need for long-term political strategies that aim to prevent conflict and sustain peace by addressing root causes. I believe we are making progress. That is evidenced by the Council’s support for a peaceful resolution of the crisis in the Gambia, for the peace process in Colombia and for the transitions in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as its cooperation with the African Union to bring stability to Somalia. As Chair of the Council’s Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, Sweden has sought to strengthen the protection of children in conflict zones. The protection of children today prevents conflicts tomorrow.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Delivering real outcomes for those who need them is a responsibility that goes beyond our national interests. Needs are growing. The number of major conflicts is on the rise. However, as the Secretary-General has said, neither war nor peace is inevitable; they result from the choices that we make. Many of the conflicts on the Council’s agenda have come about not because we failed to see them coming — the signs were there — but because we failed to respond early or quickly enough. Moreover, prevention means not only choosing to heed the warnings when they come, but investing in peaceful societies to avoid the causes of conflicts emerging in the first place. As leaders within our communities and as national leaders, we must choose peace, invest in peace and deliver peace. The United Nations system must be configured to support us.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“As the General Assembly elected us to the Council, it is only proper that I report back to its members on what we have been doing on their behalf. Our approach to the Council is simple. While we each come with our own national perspective and will not always agree, as Council members we are bound together by a responsibility to the Charter of the United Nations and the world. To that end, Sweden works with all members to deliver meaningful outcomes from the Council’s discussions. We work closely with the other elected members, which represent the broader membership and bring important perspectives. We are also talking with many members of the Assembly as part of our commitment to speaking with countries on the Council’s agenda, not only about them.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“I am proud to say that Sweden will increase its development cooperation budget by approximately $350 million in 2018, bringing our budget to its highest-ever level and delivering on our commitment to devote 1 per cent of gross national income to official development assistance. In addition to words, we will support the Secretary-General’s efforts with kronor by making available additional flexible funding for reform. In the immediate term, faced with record levels of humanitarian need, the humanitarian system requires urgent funding to save lives and end suffering. In the longer term, investing in the 2030 Agenda and the sustaining peace agenda will build resilience. Let me focus now on three particular areas in the remainder of my remarks. First, nine months ago, Sweden joined the Security Council.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Sweden fully subscribes to the principles for reform that were articulated by the Secretary-General: a country- level and people-centred perspective, gender parity, decentralized responsibility and decision-making, and reformed budget procedures. Secretary-General Guterres and Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed have our full support in their efforts. On our part, we, as Member States, have a responsibility to act coherently, avoid micromanagement and ensure long-term, stable and adequate financing. More flexible funding is necessary. We firmly believe in core and unearmarked funding. We cannot allow ourselves to cherry pick to accommodate domestic interests; that will not give the Organization the stability it needs.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The United Nations development system must be radically reoriented to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Moreover, to deliver those changes, modern management skills and systems will be essential. More importantly, we must recognize that those reforms cannot be pursued in isolation from one another. People do not experience life in pieces — their needs must be central. Peace and security, economic and social development and the protection and promotion of human rights are mutually reinforcing. As a response, all pillars of the United Nations system and our own bilateral efforts must also be interlinked and mutually reinforcing. That calls for new ways of working and thinking.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the sustaining peace agenda are powerful illustrations of what we can achieve together. Those agreements are the strategies for our common future. We must now ensure that the Organization has the structure and the tools needed to support countries to deliver them. The broad support for the Secretary-General’s reform agenda illustrates the importance that we attach to an effective United Nations, its role at the centre of multilateralism and as a platform for the delivery of our common commitments. The scope of the reforms being proposed by the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General reveals the complex tasks at hand. The peace and security architecture must better prevent conflicts and sustain peace.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It is a tailor-made space for the world to find solutions to the common challenges of our time. Despite the sometimes justified criticisms, it is clear that we still believe in the power of the United Nations. If we did not, Presidents, Prime Ministers and business and civil-society leaders would not be here this week. I believe that we all recognize that, in the face of global challenges, going it alone is no longer an option. The United Nations, founded to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to promote better standards of life in larger freedom, has prevented a repetition of the catastrophic wars that preceded its founding. Extreme poverty has fallen to a historic low. Life expectancy continues to climb. Millions of people are reached every year with life-saving humanitarian assistance.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In 1954, former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld stated that the United Nations was not created to bring us to heaven, but to save us from hell. The need for a United Nations that seeks to save us from humankind’s worst impulses remains. However, in these days of uncertainty, we must also learn from and build on what is positive in our world and the United Nations. In his important address on Tuesday (see A/72/PV.3), our Secretary-General laid out the threats and challenges that we face and how we can overcome them. Delivering a peaceful and prosperous future will depend on collective action. This is the moment for multilateralism, not unilateralism. We must grasp it or risk the consequences. The United Nations is at the centre of that effort.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“It happens when women and girls claim their human rights, when civil society and trade unions grow, making societies and economies more participatory and inclusive. Such is the fabric of lasting peace and such is the task of the United Nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
““Today is the last day of the war.” That is what the Colombian magazine Semana wrote on 23 June this year. More than 50 years of conflict have passed. Hundreds of thousands have been killed. Millions were on the run. Let us pay our respects to the victims. Let us welcome the peace agreement. But let us also remember what is unique about this agreement. The architects were not only the Government and the guerrillas. Victims of the conflict, women’s organizations and civil society were also involved. Peace does not come about because it is printed in a headline. It happens step by step, because of the courage of ordinary people. It happens when people organize a meeting to form a political party to voice their demands or print a pamphlet or use social media to rally for their cause.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We also see it as a call for a Security Council that addresses challenges to international peace and security in a comprehensive, inclusive and transparent manner. We are ready to assume our share of responsibility for the entire Council agenda. We will bring our foreign policy perspectives with us in fulfilling this assignment — those of preventing armed conflict, sustaining peace, the necessity of including women in peace processes and an understanding of security that stresses the links to sustainable development. We will continue to talk with, not only about, countries, and we will remain true to our principles. Swedish foreign policy rests firmly on international law, respect for human rights, gender equality and a humanitarian perspective.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“To meet this challenge, our tools must be developed and cooperation enhanced. The United Nations is central to political processes, the delivery of immediate relief, and efforts for long- term development, including State-building. I welcome the fact that the United Nations is now exploring responses for stabilization. Sweden believes that closer cooperation in this field between the United Nations and the European Union, politically and on the ground, would be beneficial. We should be ready to provide such comprehensive support to Iraq. I wish to thank the General Assembly once again for electing Sweden as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2017-2018 term. We take its strong support as a vote of confidence for our foreign policy of solidarity and global commitment.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Sweden is honoured to lead the work on involving civil society in the French initiative. In Europe, Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and military presence in eastern Ukraine constitute breaches of international law and principles of the European security order agreed by all participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. All parties must do their part so that Ukraine can regain control over its internationally recognized borders. If we want peace, we need to plan for peace and sustain peace. This is equally critical in the vulnerable aftermath of violent conflict. As more areas are liberated from Da’esh and other terrorist groups, we must take action to win peace; we must, at the very least, mitigate and stabilize the situation in liberated areas.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“And for peace to be sustainable, the root causes of conflict must be tackled and the rules of our multilateral world order respected. Peace accords are not implemented, and resolutions, mandates and decisions by the Security Council are disregarded. This is unacceptable. It challenges the authority of the Security Council and the rules-based international order itself. The Middle East peace process has stalled. The parties are far apart, trust is lacking and the situation on the ground is deteriorating. The occupation must end, international law must be observed and the two-State solution must be revitalized. The Security Council has a huge responsibility. Other initiatives to revive the peace process, such as the Arab Peace Initiative and the French initiative, should be supported by all of us.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Instead, it can lead us to emphasize de-escalation and disarmament, mediation and dialogue, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. That is a cornerstone of Swedish security policy. It is our basic approach to security in both our immediate and global neighbourhoods. Indeed, the importance of cooperation increases with the transboundary nature of threats. Internal and external security are more interlinked than ever before. Therefore, we must improve our common tools for crisis management, equip the next generation of peace operations with more robust mandates and adequate resources and strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, including the European Union and the African Union. But we cannot ignore the key to achieving peace: political will.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“All branches of its development system should make full use of their respective mandates and specialties, working together and avoiding duplication. Collaborative efforts should be rewarded. That is the only way that the United Nations, with its limited resources, will be able to make a greater impact at the country level and support the efforts of all Member States to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A United Nations conference to be co-hosted by Fiji and Sweden in 2017 will focus on SDG 14, with the goal of conserving and using sustainably our oceans, seas and marine resources. Security is something we must build together. It is something we share, and that notion compels us to contest the false logic of confrontation and geopolitical zero-sum games.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The United Nations can lead the way by improving the gender balance in its system and having a gender-responsive budget of its own, and by using gender-disaggregated data when dealing with matters of peace and conflict, including in the Security Council. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a political road map for reform. It requires the United Nations to offer comprehensive advice and support to Governments on how to shape and develop societies on issues ranging from tax reform to decent jobs. It also requires the United Nations to monitor developed countries, while assisting middle-income countries in their efforts to build inclusive and accountable institutions and sustainable prosperity. To achieve that, we must strengthen and reform the financing of the United Nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Working with and through regional organizations will make the United Nations more effective in its quest to sustain peace. It is particularly important to find ways to sustainably finance regional and subregional organizations’ peace operations. Another area requiring determined action is gender equality. We call for a true shift in the way we approach global efforts aimed at achieving gender equality. Ultimately, it is our task to enhance rights, representation and resources for women and girls all around the world, by increasing women’s participation in peace processes, protecting them against gender- based violence in humanitarian crises and strengthening their political and economic empowerment.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“To succeed, we need a strong, visionary and courageous leadership, dedicated to change, to turning ambitions into concrete action and to delivering on the recent groundbreaking multilateral achievements on climate change, sustainable development and peace. We need the States Members of the United Nations to heed and lead that call for change. The prevention of armed conflict must be at the core of our action. We should make full use of Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations, which remains underutilized. Early warnings should be followed by early action. Resolution 70/262, on sustaining peace, adopted by the Assembly earlier this year, provides a strong framework on which to base effective prevention and peacebuilding.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The international community must live up to its commitments by providing protection for refugees and guaranteeing the right to seek asylum. That is a global responsibility, to be shouldered cooperatively and addressed comprehensively and through shared governance. The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (resolution 71/1), which the Assembly adopted earlier this week, is a first step. But there are many more to take. Fundamentally, we need to redouble resettlement efforts, which are the most important way to help refugees. And at the same time, we must harness the positive effects of safe and orderly migration. The United Nations must adapt to a changing environment. The Organization has achieved a great deal in 71 years, but it falls short of our expectations. It is time for serious reforms that can make it fit for purpose.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We are being revisited by the spectres of xenophobia and aggressive nationalism, autocracy and fear-mongering. Walls are being erected. We must and we can respond to that by empowering people, by strengthening democracy, good governance and the rule of law, by celebrating diversity, by keeping our economies open and pushing for trade, so that we can create decent jobs for all, by committing to arresting climate change in order to save our planet, by setting ambitious goals for sustainable development, by pursuing peace through diplomacy, and by seeking solutions through collaboration. High on our global agenda are the issues of migration and refugees. As we have heard so many times already this week, 65 million people are fleeing from harm.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“More than ever before, we share a common destiny. The destiny of everyone here is also our destiny, and we can master the challenges of the future only if we face them together. That is why we have the United Nations. That is why we meet in this Assembly. Today, we are doing so at a time marked by the destructive forces of war and the tragic plight of refugees, such as the unspeakable horror of Syria, girls abducted and enslaved by Boko Haram, or teenagers on the run who are in search of opportunity but have never attended school. It is also marked by the return of geopolitical rivalries and isolationism. The basic tenets of our coexistence are being challenged. Acts of aggression are changing borders; nuclear weapons are proliferating and being tested; human dignity is being denied.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)