Sweden

A few weeks ago, 200 innocent children were killed by terrorists in Beslan. Today alone, 1,700 children will be born marked by death from HIV/AIDS from their first breath. Also today, hundreds of children will die from starvation, bullets or mines in numerous parts of the world. Has this world become a better place than it was a generation ago? Yes, I still believe it has. Democracy is more widespread than ever before. The cold war has come to an end. Fewer people are suffering from famine. Better - but still, this world is not a good place. As long as children die of famine, as long as war and violence end lives that have barely started, the world is not good. As long as children die from curable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, we - the political leaders of our countries - have not done enough. We need a stronger commitment, a stronger link between words and deeds. We must pull together, more determined than ever. Each individual carries a responsibility to take action for the sake of the collective. We need a stronger United Nations. I want to see progress. Sweden is a staunch supporter of United Nations reform efforts. While advocating reforms, we believe that the core principles of the United Nations Charter remain as valid as ever. Threats to international peace and security must be met collectively. The use of force is permitted only as a last resort and when authorized by the Security Council, unless it is an act of self-defence. We need to make the United Nations more relevant. We need a United Nations that can act early and quickly, in an integrated, sustainable and legitimate manner. Last year, the Secretary-General called upon us all to take decisive action in order to safeguard multilateralism. He will need our strong support to follow up on the report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. For the Security Council to remain legitimate, representative and relevant, its composition must better reflect the world of today. Since the adoption of the United Nations Charter, a small number of countries have emerged as key political and economic Powers. Those countries should be given a role which is commensurate with their importance. We also need a Security Council that ensures the legitimate interests of small and medium-sized countries. An expansion of the Security Council should not undermine its efficiency. A way to safeguard this would be to limit the use of the veto power. I hope that the High-Level Panel will present a bold proposal that will end the present stalemate. A joint seat for the European Union should not be ruled out as an option for the future. Managing transition from conflict to peace has become a primary responsibility of the United Nations. A standing committee of the Security Council to advise it on post-conflict transition issues would facilitate that task. The Economic and Social Council must be more effective in bridging the gap between peacekeeping, peace-building and development. Still, weapons of mass destruction constitute one of the main threats to international peace and security. The threat of terrorism in connection with the proliferation of such weapons is real. The need for strong policies in disarmament and non-proliferation is acute. The nuclear-weapon States must show real progress towards disarmament. Efforts to combat proliferation must be strengthened. Compliance with existing treaties leaves much to be desired, and must improve. A wave of terrorist acts has shaken the world in the past few years. The months when we have not had to mourn victims of terrorism are easily counted. We are all repelled by the barbaric acts of terrorism around the world, from Beslan to Jakarta. Nothing can be crueller than the violent, senseless and tragic loss of innocent lives. All States must work together to preserve a democratic, secure and open society. That is how we will defeat terrorism. But we must also admit that we will never be successful if we fail to defeat the causes of terrorism. For me, it is clear: fanaticism and fundamentalism 42 exploit people's sense of injustice and lack of hope. Poverty, oppression, insecurity, intolerance, absence of democratic structures and lack of political freedom ó they are all part of the breeding ground. The fight against terrorism must be carried out with determination. There are no short cuts: human rights must be respected; international law must be followed. Our global human rights instruments aim at protecting the individual. But just as human beings are equal, so are States, big and small. International law is the ultimate guarantee that all States, no matter their size or power, are treated equally. For the sake of all nations, we need a strong multilateral system. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continues to take innocent lives, causing unending human tragedy. Commitment from the parties to a peaceful solution and an end to occupation is crucial. On the Israeli side, excessive violence, extrajudicial killings, settlement activity and destruction of property must end. Israel's right and obligation to protect its people must be exercised within the context of international law. On the Palestinian side, areas of particular concern remain corruption, and security and political reform. The indiscriminate and horrendous terrorist attacks must stop, and the Palestinian Authority must do more to achieve that. To realize the vision of two States - a viable and democratic Palestine living in peace and security side by side with an Israel within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) - the parties need to meet their obligations. The road map of the Quartet is the tool to achieve this, but both sides must demonstrate a will to use it. In Iraq, a united international community should give the Iraqi people all necessary support for the building of an independent and democratic Iraq. To that end, the role of the United Nations is vital. What Iraq and the whole region need is not a new war, but a new peace. In Afghanistan, the security situation remains worrying. The attacks against national and international assistance workers are unacceptable. The international community should stand by Afghanistan in building a stable, secure and democratic society. The size and scope of United Nations peacekeeping operations have expanded dramatically. I welcome the trend towards peacekeeping operations with broad and comprehensive tasks, including the protection of vulnerable civilian populations. Children continue to be victims of war and conflict. Nothing can be more important than the life and health of children. The late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme used to say that it is not meaningful to talk about 'my children and your children'; it is all about our children - the only tangible connection to the future that we have. Their protection should be paramount to all of us. Four years ago, Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security was adopted. It was a groundbreaking achievement. But now we need to do more to translate its common objectives into concrete improvements for women around the world. An increasing number of United Nations and other peacekeeping missions are set up in Africa. While hardship is the plight of countless men, women and children on the continent, Africa today brings hope of a more vigorous leadership to confront its challenges. President Thabo Mbeki showed the way with his bold New Partnership for Africaís Development (NEPAD) initiative. From that followed the creation of the African Union, which is now establishing itself as a decisive body for addressing violent conflicts. International law should guide us in all our collective efforts to attain freedom from weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, sustainable development and respect for human rights. Our finest achievement in international law in recent years is the creation of the International Criminal Court. I call on the Security Council to consider the possibility of referring matters to the Court. Sovereignty entails responsibility. The prevention of atrocities requires international action if Governments fail to assume their responsibility. At the Stockholm International Forum on the prevention of genocide last January, we pledged to shoulder our responsibility to protect potential victims of genocide, mass murder and ethnic cleansing. We pledged to ensure that the perpetrators of genocidal acts are brought to justice. And we pledged to cooperate in the United Nations on these efforts. Discussions on the definition of genocide should never stop us from taking action when it is called for. 43 The recent Security Council resolution, resolution 1564 (2004), on the terrible tragedy in Darfur is a necessary step in this direction. I particularly welcome the request to establish an international commission of inquiry. My Government stands ready to give the Secretary-General our full support in that task. I also welcome the appointment by the Secretary- General of Professor Juan Mendez as his Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. That will serve to make clear the link between massive and systematic violations of human rights and threats to international peace and security. Another issue of serious concern is the use of the death penalty. For me, as a democrat and humanist, it can never be accepted. I want us to make every effort to seek the abolishment of the death penalty. The Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals are at the core of the worldís efforts to put an end to hunger and poverty. The collective political will to give priority to sustainable global development, over short-term national interests, will be the decisive factor in turning promise into reality. Rich countries must fulfil their commitments. I am proud to tell you that Sweden will reach its national goal of 1 per cent of gross national income for official development assistance in 2006. But development assistance alone will not yield the needed results. Both the developed and the developing world must move forward on a number of other issues. And Sweden will do its part. We have translated the international agenda into national policy, giving the entire range of government activities one single objective: to contribute to equitable and sustainable global development. We will act in a coherent way with that single objective in every field, whether trade, environment or agricultural policy. But this is not enough. Other decisive areas are good governance and transparency, democracy and human rights, women and workersí rights. Let us end the blame game. Let us focus on getting the job done. Next year, we will gather in this Hall for a summit meeting to review progress on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration. By then, we will also have reflected on the findings of the High-Level Panel and the recommendations of the Secretary-General. It will be a decisive moment for the United Nations. It will be a chance for us, the Members of the United Nations, to show that we believe in collective action and that we will shoulder our responsibility for making our international institutions stronger and more effective. Let us not fail the United Nations at this most critical juncture. Let us not shirk our responsibilities in the face of complex new realities. Let us choose a secure and prosperous future for all.