Times of crisis require the best of us. When warnings sound, action must follow. Only then will development be sustainable and peace be maintained. Honest reflection on the gravity of the challenges must be followed by determined commitments to address them. That is what respecting the Charter of the United Nations means and what multilateralism is all about.
We are all aware of the immense tasks facing us. Almost 350 million people in more than 80 countries face acute food insecurity, trying to merely survive the day instead of making plans for tomorrow. Some 50 million people in 45 countries are on the brink of starvation. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is halting, leaving millions of women, men and children behind. Extreme poverty is on the rise for the first time in two decades. The world is in the midst of an accelerating climate and environmental crisis, and the effects of the ongoing pandemic continue to afflict individuals and societies around the world.
A permanent member of the Security Council has launched an unprovoked, unjustified and illegal aggression against a neighbouring country. That was done in blatant disregard of its international obligations and the human suffering that extends far beyond the immediate war zone.
As Member States, we also know what is required of us. The General Assembly has come together to demand that Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The General Assembly has reaffirmed Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Today Sweden reiterates that demand in the strongest possible terms, alongside other European Union (EU) member States, transatlantic partners and countries around the globe. The war in Ukraine must stop, and Russia’s troops must withdraw. Any fake referendums on Ukrainian territory would be illegal and will have no effect. Neither partial mobilization, the appalling use of nuclear threats nor any other escalation will deter us from supporting Ukraine. Humanitarian law and principles must be upheld, and Ukraine’s nuclear power plants must be protected from Russia’s illegal and reckless attacks. Accountability for the heinous crimes committed must be ensured. International law must be upheld, and decisions by United Nations entities must be respected.
Russia’s aggression has severely escalated the food security, energy and financial crises. Governments and societies already struggling to cope with the consequences of climate change, conflicts and the pandemic now face even more serious challenges. Because of the actions of one country, more than one and a half billion people in more than half of the States Members of the United Nations find themselves at greater risk of poverty, starvation and debt. In short, the global relief, recovery and resilience needs are immense. Sweden and the EU have scaled up our own contributions to meet them.
To save lives and alleviate suffering where needs are greatest, Sweden has increased its humanitarian assistance to a record high $950 million this year. We commend the efforts of the Secretary-General and the President of Tiirkiye on the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Under the Initiative, some 50,000 tons of wheat will, thanks partly to Swedish funding, soon leave the port of Odesa, bound for millions of women, men and children at risk of famine in Yemen. A significant part of Sweden’s ambitious aid budget has been directed to the United Nations as an investment in global peace, security and development and the multilateral system itself. Our actions are firmly anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Peace, with the SDGs, and in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which are now more important than ever. It is time to raise our ambition and accelerate action to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, or we will fail not only future generations but also our own.
At the international meeting Stockholm+50, held in June, countries came together to follow through on recommendations and actions. Sweden has spearheaded the climate transition through innovation and green investments and an ambitious increase in climate aid. Mounting evidence shows that climate change also leads to greater risks to peace and stability. A solid foundation for advancing climate security is in place at the United Nations and in regional organizations. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe took key decisions last year during the Swedish chairpersonship, and the EU is scaling up.
The nuclear threat is alarmingly present, and Russia’s actions lower the threshold in a way that increases the threat facing us all. In January, the leaders of all five nuclear-weapon States committed to the prevention of nuclear war and avoiding an arms race. They affirmed that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Russia’s irresponsible actions and nuclear rhetoric since then severely undermine the credibility of its commitment to that pledge. It is also deeply troubling that Russia broke consensus on the draft outcome document of the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The countries of the Stockholm Initiative on Nuclear Disarmament have presented ideas in response to the Secretary-General’s call to bring disarmament and non-proliferation back to the top of the international agenda.
The world is in a gender-equality recession. Regrettably, we still cannot take for granted women’s rights and representation or the resources needed to ensure them. Violence against women and girls has increased. Access to safe and legal abortion has suffered major setbacks. And one year after the Taliban takeover, the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan has turned into a nightmare, in an unparalleled system of discrimination. At the same time, more and more States are acknowledging that a gender perspective is needed to meet global challenges.
As we gather for the first fully in-person General Assembly high-level week since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, we must do everything in our power to prevent another pandemic. Sweden and the EU have made substantial contributions to global vaccination. Last year alone, Sweden committed more than $600 million to global health. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response has set out clear recommendations for action, and we should make use of them.
A year ago, the Secretary-General presented his blueprint for a modern multilateral system. Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) is an accelerator of the SDGs, a launch pad for a new agenda for peace and a way towards a more inclusive, modern and networked United Nations. It was us, the Member States, who called for the report — and as Member States we should do our collective best to act on it. The recent establishment of the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth was a fitting first decision, because this is an agenda for the future. And the convening of the Transforming Education Summit earlier this week was another important step towards implementation. We look forward to similar progress on other recommendations, from investments in peacebuilding and strategic foresight to digitalization and a global economy that benefits all by being fair and open. We must keep up the momentum until we realize our ambitions at the Summit of the Future in 2024.
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has caused the greatest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War, aggravating the already serious global refugee situation. This military invasion of a country in our neighbourhood, in violation of the very same international law that has protected us all from aggression, has also fundamentally changed Sweden’s security environment. In response to the serious deterioration of the security situation, on 16 May the Swedish Government decided to apply for NATO membership. The decision has broad national support and was made following extensive consultations among our political parties. It was taken in tandem with Finland, and the decision is anchored in a firm belief that security is best built together with others.
When I signed our formal request for NATO membership, I noted the fundamental changes to our defence and security policy. But I also stressed the importance of the continuity of our ambitious global and multilateral foreign policy. That enduring global commitment is also reflected in the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Sweden will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2023. We look forward to further strengthening the EU’s global role and deepening cooperation with partners around the world. We will work to protect, promote and defend democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law. And we
will reinforce the already solid EU-United Nations relationship in seeking multilateral solutions. We lend our full support to Denmark’s candidacy to serve as an elected member on the Security Council for the 2025- 2026 term. Its campaign message — equality, security, action — is a message from all the Nordic countries.
People working for peace, security, development and human rights should feel safe in their jobs. There have been 176 attacks on humanitarian workers so far this year, and 47 of those workers were killed. More than 50 peacekeepers have lost their lives while serving in United Nations missions. A few months ago, the Secretary-General and I inaugurated a work of art in this very building in memory of Zaida Catalan and Michael Sharp, who were murdered while working for the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In too many countries, civil-society representatives, human rights defenders and journalists are threatened, subjected to violence or even killed for expressing their opinions or reporting on current events. The global trend of democratic backsliding must be reversed, and we must break the vicious circle of a lack of democracy, disrespect for human rights and disregard of the rule of law. Investing in democracy means investing in peace and sustainable development. Efforts must continue to bring clarity to the circumstances of the death of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold and his crew. We fully support the work of the United Nations- appointed independent investigator.
To echo the topic of today’s debate, we are at a watershed moment. We are witnessing a full-scale war in Europe. Across the globe, armed conflict and repression cause suffering and halt development. We are not doing enough to tackle the climate crisis. Too many people are facing hunger, being forced to flee their homes, dying from curable diseases or living in fear or under oppression. We, the United Nations, must make sure there is a different story to tell next year. It will not be easy, but it is possible if we heed the call to meet our interlocking challenges with transformative change — and act when warnings sound.