The world is constantly
changing and the pace of change is increasing every
year. The world is a very different place today compared
to 10 years ago when the Millennium Development
Goals were set. But it is important to understand the
nature of the changes and to draw the right conclusions,
because only then will we be able to have an influence
and shape our own future.
We are seeing the fastest reduction in poverty in
human history. Child death rates have fallen, meaning
that 14,000 fewer children are dying every day. Deaths
from malaria and tuberculosis are decreasing. New
HIV infections are declining. People are living longer.
One hundred years ago, the average life expectancy in
Sweden was less than 60 years. Today, many children
born in my country will live to celebrate their 100th
birthday. Those are truly amazing developments.
The world economy is growing. This year,
developing and emerging countries’ share of the world
economy will surpass the share of developed countries.
In 10 years’ time, they will dominate the growing world
economy.
We see the same pattern in expanding global trade
flows. The share of developing countries’ exports
has grown substantially and now accounts for almost
half of all exports in the world. That creates jobs and
growth for everyone and increases global equality.
Technological change is also rapid. Seeking information
from the other side of the globe is now part of everyday
life for many people, not only for the privileged few. As
an example, the number of mobile phone users has risen
from fewers than 1 billion to more than 6 billion. But
challenges are still abundant, and it is crucial that we
intensify our efforts to achieve the existing Millennium
Development Goals.
Sweden continues to contribute 1 per cent of its gross
national income to official development assistance.
Sweden is a firm believer in multilateral organizations,
in international cooperation and in the United Nations.
The United Nations plays a key role in coordinating our
efforts towards the Millennium Development Goals. We
believe that together we can become hopeful instead of
helpless. Therefore, Sweden contributes approximately
$1.2 billion yearly to the United Nations system. That
makes us the second biggest contributor per capita to
the United Nations in the world — that is something we
are very proud of.
In addition to the existing Millennium Development
Goals, we must also work to establish a strong post-
2015 development agenda, with the objective of
eradicating extreme poverty, raising standards of
living for everyone and offering equal opportunities
to everyone. In that regard, I would like to draw the
Assembly’s attention to the three areas that I believe are
central to human and economic development: gender
equality, democracy and free trade. Those areas have
the capacity to influence developments in many other
areas at the same time.
When I addressed the General Assembly two
years ago (see A/66/PV.19), I spoke about the most
important human rights failure of all — the one that
affects the largest number of human beings, namely
gender inequality. I want to raise that issue once again,
because that challenge is as present and as urgent today
as before.
Gender equality is first and foremost a question
of ensuring the same human, economic and social
rights for half of the world’s population, something that
should be self-evident. Every year, 1 billion women are
still subject to sexual or physical violence. Women are
still refused equal access to health services, including
sexual and reproductive health and rights. Every day
800 women still die from preventable complications
related to pregnancy and childbirth. Legal restrictions
still exist preventing women from owning, inheriting
and acquiring property in many countries. Many girls
and women are still refused access to schools and
education. For many women the idea that a Government
would have more female than male ministers, like in
Sweden, seems utopian. Many of those women are not
even allowed to vote.
Against that background, Sweden was one of the
countries that gave strong support to creating the entity
UN-Women and is today one of its biggest donors. It
is our firm belief that by ensuring gender equality one
also improves a country’s productivity and economy
and the rule of law. Educating girls and women leads
directly to an increase in a country’s economic output.
Educated mothers place higher value on schooling for
their children. Closing the gap between male and female
employment rates increases a country’s gross domestic
product substantially. Increased participation by women
in politics and business leads to clear improvements for
the public good and to less corruption. The inclusion
of women in peace processes makes peace easier and
more stable. Let me be very clear: it is simply neither
acceptable nor very smart to discriminate against
women and girls.
To achieve sustainable development, we need
a democratic governance that encompasses all
individuals. We need a system that covers not only
the State, but also the private sector and civil society
organizations. We need a governing system that is
accountable and transparent with regard to its actions.
Nevertheless, nearly one third of the world’s population
lives under authoritarian rule, a serious barrier to
development. With the growing economic power in
many developing countries comes an opportunity and
a responsibility to use that power wisely and for the
common good of everyone.
Every person’s human rights must be respected,
regardless of origin, religion, handicap, gender, sexual
preference or transsexual identity. Only then will
society reap the benefits of all human resources. Only
when people can freely express their political opinions
and freely participate in a thriving civil society can
they truly participate in the lives of their communities.
That also applies to freedom on the Internet. Only
with functioning courts do people feel safe to make
investments and develop their businesses. Only with
respect for the rule of law can we tackle organized
crime and corruption. Only with democratic principles
can we ensure freedom from conflict and violence.
Violence and oppression in all their forms are
among the main threats to the development of people
and the development of societies. We know that it takes,
on average, seven years to fight a civil war, and 17 years
to recover from a war. That is why conflict is sometimes
called “development in reverse”. As we speak, there
are several major ongoing conflicts, resulting in death
and suffering, hunger and disease, and rape and sexual
violence. Those conflicts are depriving men, women
and children of their right to a prosperous life and a
future of hope. A focus on fragile States will remain
necessary.
The civil war raging in Syria for more than two
years must come to an end. Those responsible for
systematic violations of human rights, including those
responsible for the use of chemical weapons, must
be held accountable. The conflict must, however, be
handled within the United Nations system. There is an
urgent need for a political solution to the conflict and a
transition to a free and democratic Syria.
It is time for a new era in which countries in
conflict can join the rest of the world in achieving the
Millennium Development Goals. For that, we need a
strong United Nations and a well-functioning Security
Council.
I want to thank all peacekeepers and peacebuilders
of the United Nations for their efforts and sacrifices.
Sweden will further contribute to and participate
in those efforts. We also give strong support to the
areas of democracy, human rights and freedom from
violence. Sweden is one of biggest donors to the Office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We are
trying to help out though humanitarian assistance for
the crisis in Syria and by receiving refugees. This year
alone we have welcomed 16,000 Syrians to Sweden.
Let me mention a third area that we need to focus on
in the post-2015 development agenda, namely, trade and
competition. Protectionism is very expensive. It raises
prices and lowers standards of living. Let me illustrate
this by a striking example. According to the World
Trade Organization, consumers and Governments in
rich countries pay $350 billion per year supporting
agriculture. That is enough to fly their 41 million dairy
cows first class around the world.
Allow me to mention some other, maybe more down-
to-earth, examples. When competition was introduced
for mobile phone companies in some countries, the
cost of calls fell by 30 to 50 per cent. Studies show that
lowering service barriers by one third under the Doha
Development Agenda would raise developing countries’
incomes by approximately $60 billion. Unfortunately,
progress in the Doha Development Round has been
slow. But the good news is that many countries are
doing what they can to liberalize trade through regional
agreements instead, because they know that that will
benefit their economies.
The two free trade agreements now being
negotiated — between the United States and the
European Union and between the United States and a
number of countries in Asia and Latin America — will
cover two-thirds of world trade. That will create jobs
and growth. Sweden is one of the countries within
the European Union working the hardest to get the
transatlantic deal in place. Freer trade and openness
also mean that new impulses and trends affect a country
faster. That puts pressure on reform in countries and
companies to meet global competition. Sweden is an
example of that.
Trade has made it possible for us to double our
economic output. Our companies have learned that they
must consistently take on new trends and technology
in order to stay competitive. If they did not, our gross
domestic product and standard of living would fall
significantly. Let us also remember how important
trade is for peaceful relations. To put it very simply,
no sales person wants to start a war against a country
where he has customers. That would be a bad business
strategy, so trade promotes peace.
Climate change continues, leading to extreme
weather conditions in many parts of the world and
the loss of lives and very high costs for society. The
European Union’s and the United States’ emissions are
falling, but overall global emissions are increasing.
That is why all countries need to contribute to the
international efforts in the fight against climate change.
The European Union and the United States cannot solve
the problem of climate change on their own, when
they only account for around 25 per cent of today’s
emissions.
The international structures we have to deal
with climate change commitments are unfortunately
obsolete. We need a new agreement that ensures that all
major emitters make commitments that are sufficient
so that we can reach the two-degree target.
It is our duty to strive for a society and a world
that gives everybody the possibility to create his or
her own future. That is what every woman, every man,
every girl and every boy deserves. Let me underline
that it is in the very interests of every country, because
people are the real wealth of a nation. The Millennium
Development Goals have been very successful in
coordinating and focusing our efforts on the areas where
progress has been most urgent. Now we need to prepare
for tomorrow. In doing that, Sweden is convinced, the
United Nations will play a very important role. We will
continue our strong support to the Organization.