President,
I thank the Secretary-General, and Ambassador Zlauvinen for their informative briefings. Thanks also to China for convening this timely meeting.
The world is currently facing a multitude of immediate challenges in new and reinforcing ways from the pandemics to climate-related conflicts, cybercrime, food insecurity and growing number of refugees.
Conflicts have become increasingly protracted with devastating effects on civilians and civilian infrastructure. Lack of protection fuels conflicts and is a threat to international peace and security.
No state, no matter how powerful, can resolve all these challenges alone.
Multilateralism must be at the heart of how we seek to deal with our global challenges.
President,
We need to take a more active role in preventing crises. We therefore highly value that the Secretary General has made prevention a priority in his report “Our Common Agenda, emphasizing the need to ensure that financing is adequate, predictable and sustained.
In searching for ways to facilitate early responses, we also need to improve the Council’s situational awareness.
Here, there is a key role for the Secretariat, and UN briefers, to use their interactions with the Council to bring emerging issues to its attention and sound the alarm.
Working together with regional organisations, such as the African Union, is essential for the Council to understand and tackle emerging security threats, including the rise of non-state actors in conflict. In order to reach sustainable peace, Norway strongly believes that we need to talk to all actors involved in any conflict,
The full and meaningful inclusion of women is crucial in this regard.
President,
Great power rivalry is putting pressure on the multilateral disarmament architecture. New weapons systems are being developed and deployed. Proliferation challenges are on the rise.
The Non-Proliferation Treaty has helped to safeguard global security for more than half a century. It is the cornerstone of our efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons. It is essential that we seize the opportunity – during the ongoing Review Conference – to reaffirm our commitment to the Treaty. We would also strongly advocate the entry into force of the CTBT.
We must persist in our efforts to prepare the ground for future binding arms control and disarmament agreements. In this regard we emphasize to use the gender lense also on this work. Women and women organisations are central actors in policy and advocacy on non-proliferation and disarmament.
President,
The UN Charter clearly prohibits aggression and acquisition of territory by force.
Russia must immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and cease all threats and military actions.
The recent shelling on Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is of special concern.
President,
Let me conclude with a concern we share with many around this table.
The world currently faces unprecedented levels of acute food insecurity. Rising food prices are driving hunger in South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and many other places. It is affecting livelihoods and multiplying the risk of further conflicts and instability. Russia’s war on Ukraine has worsened the situation further with serious global impact.
Norway commends the Secretary-General for his contribution to the initiative on the safe transportation of grain from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea.
This is an important step and can prove to ease global food insecurity.
President,
The challenges we are facing require a holistic and inclusive response, we are all effected.
Our efforts for collective security must be coordinated across all three pillars of the UN’s work - peace and security, human rights, and development.