Mr President,
I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and my own country Norway.
The Nordic countries would like to thank Japan for organising this debate.
Today’s security challenges must be addressed comprehensively, and across the dividing lines between humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and security efforts.
Famine, pandemics, violent extremism and organised crime destabilise countries and fuel conflicts. Increasingly, conflicts are also being caused by environmental degradation due to climate change.
To deal with this, we must cooperate on reaching Agenda 2030, fulfilling the Paris Agreement, implementing major environmental agreements and preventing conflict over shared water resources.
We welcome the strengthened UN-World Bank partnership. The joint study Pathways for Peace makes a strong case for investing in development as a way of preventing conflict, and provides much-needed guidance on how development interacts with other efforts to this end.
We are major partners in long-term development and we are strong supporters of the Green Climate Fund and initiatives by the World Bank, UNDP and others with a particular focus on African and small island states.
We consistently promote the women, peace and security agenda. We commend the Council’s important role in establishing the normative framework for the agenda and its implementation. Women’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations increases their efficiency and improves humanitarian access and the ability to respond to people’s needs.
Inclusive political settlements are key to peace and development and essential for legitimacy and ownership. Inclusivity starts with women. Our efforts must be rooted in the communities we are striving to help stabilise and rebuild, for example by making better use of the positive contributions that young people can make, as called for in resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security. In the Colombia process victims were heard, civil society was involved and women were influential. It is now up to us all to support the implementation of the peace agreement.
The Nordic countries will work with all member states to follow up the landmark peace resolutions on sustaining peace. We are among the major contributors to the Peacebuilding Fund. For every dollar invested in prevention, 17 dollars are saved in post-conflict assistance. Nevertheless, we need to do even more to provide predictable and sustained financing.
Mr. President,
We have to place prevention at the core of the United Nation's agenda. The reforms initiated by the Secretary-General are important, and we fully support his reform agenda. Reform of the Security Council is also needed to better reflect today’s geopolitical realities. This should include both permanent and non-permanent seats for Africa. The Nordic countries are continuing to emphasise the importance of ensuring that small states have the opportunity to serve regularly as elected members of the Council.
The Nordic countries are convinced that the peace and security challenges of today’s world require a concerted response. We need multilateral structures, in particular the UN, which we must strengthen and make more efficient.
Thank you for your attention.