Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dag Hammarskjöld. He was the second Secretary-General of the United Nations at a time when cold war politics paralysed the world body. During his time in office, Dag Hammarskjöld demonstrated an outstanding ability to think creatively about the role of the United Nations. Today, after sixty years, the organisation still carries the clear mark of Hammarskjölds boldness and creativity.

Dag Hammarskjölds vision for the UN was based on the idea that the organisation must be a dynamic tool for dealing with threats to peace and security. By mobilising support among smaller Member States, Hammarskjöld managed to get around the paralysed Security Council. He made the Secretariat independent, realising that the strength of the UN lay in its neutrality. He used the UN Charter in order to create peacekeeping operations, a completely new way of helping countries solve their differences. Today, such missions are one of the UNs most important tools for conflict management.

This year, we also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. Over these decades, we have come to appreciate the UN as the single most important forum for managing international relations. No other body or form of cooperation can compete with the United Nations when it comes to meeting todays challenges. That is why continued reform and strengthening of the United Nations is so crucial.

When the UN General Assembly gathers in September, pledges must be honoured and bold decisions must be taken. I will meet with colleagues from around the world to discuss how to strengthen the multilateral system and reform the United Nations, and how to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals are reached. We have a unique opportunity to map out the road ahead. We must meet this challenge.

In 1957, just re-elected for a new term as Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld said, The many who, together, form this Organisation peoples, governments, and individuals share one great responsibility. Future generations may come to say of us that we never achieved what we set out to do. May they never be entitled to say that we failed because we lacked faith or permitted narrow self-interest to distort our efforts.

I believe that his words are as relevant now as they were then. Let us find inspiration in the work of Dag Hammarskjöld for the discussions at this Conference and for the decisions that must be taken later this year.

Mr. Chairman,

In todays world, a threat to one is a threat to all.
The threat of greenhouse gas emissions to the
world climate will affect everyone, everywhere. Globalisation means that a terrorist attack in one part of the world will affect the well being of many far away. It means, as we have recently been brutally reminded, that a disaster in one continent, will devastate lives across the globe. No state can find complete security without international cooperation.

We need the United Nations. And we expect much from the United Nations. We are right to do that! But then we, the member states, must also ensure that the UN has the means to deliver on our expectations.

We want a more relevant and efficient United Nations, a body that deals with the challenges of the 21st century even more comprehensively and effectively than today addressing poverty, HIV/Aids and environmental degradation as well as terrorism, organised crime and weapons of mass destruction.

We want a United Nations that acts early and quickly, in an integrated, sustainable and legitimate manner.

We want a strong United Nations that safeguards our collective security system. Only the UN offers a structure for comprehensive action. Only the UN can provide legitimacy for coercive measures.

The Secretary-Generals initiative to establish the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change has created a momentum for reform of the United Nations. The starting-point of the Panels report is that we must get better at prevention in order to tackle todays challenges. It takes a broad approach to collective security, it deals with a wide range of threats, and it contains bold and forward-looking recommendations on institutional reform. It is an extremely important reform document.

Our view of todays global challenges stretches beyond the traditional conflict between states. It puts the safety and security of human beings at the center. When conflicts and natural disasters strike, it is often the poorest and most vulnerable groups in society that are worse affected. In addition, poverty, hunger, infectious diseases and environmental degradation quietly reap more lives every day, than conflicts and natural disasters.

Conflict and development are closely interrelated. Without economic and social development, democracy, respect for human rights and an equitable distribution of resources, you wont get peaceful coexistence. On the other hand, by eradicating poverty and creating a sustainable development, you will help prevent renewed conflict.

Everyone must take responsibility for a sustainable and equitable development. As for Sweden, we have created a strong instrument through the Governments recently established policy for global development. It states that all policy areas of government must contribute to this common goal. One set of measures must not undermine another. We see that happening today on an international scale: agricultural subsidies, trade barriers and debt burdens impact badly on development. We must work to minimize such inconsistencies.

The report of the High-Level Panel acknowledges very clearly the link between security and development. A few weeks ago the report on the Millennium Project was also presented. Both will be crucial for our work over the coming months. They prove that security and development must be addressed together.

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to point out a few issues where I think that the High-Level Panel has come out with particularly interesting proposals.

One of the most innovative ideas is the establishment of a peace-building commission. We need better tools to support states in fragile post-conflict situations, and help them avoid renewed conflict and secure a sustainable development. To be successful, peace-building and peacekeeping activities should be planned and undertaken in an integrated manner. A peace-building commission will help achieve this.

We have to develop a strong system of cooperation between regional organisations and the United Nations. Regional organisations should be able to take greater responsibility for security in their parts of the world. However, the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security should remain with the United Nations.

The High-Level Panel strongly emphasises the collective responsibility to protect civilians in the event of large-scale violence. I want to emphasise that any responsibility to protect, must be coupled with a responsibility to prevent.

The report also points out the need for a collective response to terrorism. This should inspire all states
to agree on a definition on terrorism. We must join together in fighting this threat to democracy, while at the same time observing rules of international law.

Peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations are today indispensable tools for ending wars and creating security. Therefore, it is truly worrying that, according to the Panel, the global supply of available
peacekeepers is becoming too low to meet the needs
of the United Nations. All developed countries, including Sweden, should take a bigger responsibility and contribute with troops, maintenance and training.

A broad international consensus on collective security calls for a Security Council that is legitimate and effective and with a more fair representation for continents such as Africa, Asia and Latin America. Sweden recognises that there are Member States that have valid arguments supporting their aspirations for a permanent seat on the Council. We must also take into account the interests of Member States that greatly contribute to the fulfilment of the objectives of the UN Charter. Reform of the Security Council is a key element for success. Maximum effort must be put into the search for a sustainable agreement. At the same time, we should not allow this to hijack other issues
in the process leading to the High Level Meeting in September.

The Economic and Social Council also needs to be reformed. It has to become a vital organ for addressing the links between security and development. We support the recommendations in the High-Level Panel report on transforming ECOSOC to a development cooperation forum and an arena to monitor progress and measure Member States commitments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Sweden is ready to contribute with detailed ideas on such a transformation.

Mr. Chairman,

Hundreds of researchers, practitioners and development experts from all over the world have jointly undertaken to define the best strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. In January, the report of the Millennium Project, led by Jeffrey Sachs, was presented. The Project is a unique endeavour. Most of the key recommendations of the report are well in line with Swedens policy for global development.

The report argues that the Millennium Development Goals can be reached by 2015, if there are intensive efforts by all parties. So far, the record in achieving these goals is mixed. Broad regions are far off track. Changing that will take a strong and joint effort from the whole international community developed and developing countries alike. And it will take concrete and bold action.

We are willing to take on that challenge. We will give high priority to the report in the ongoing work within the EU as well as in the governing boards of the UN organizations and the Bretton Woods Institutions.

Active participation from a wide range of actors civil society, the academia and the private sector will be key factors in ensuring that the Millennium Development Goals are reached.

Mr. Chairman,

Todays Conference brings together actors of such a wide range. I am convinced that you, with the broad experiences that you bring, will provide valuable input to the discussions on how to strengthen the United Nations. The result from this Conference will be used in regional seminars and local study forums around Sweden. I am sure that it will lead to increased knowledge of international politics and create an even larger commitment within Sweden to the work of the UN.

2005 will be a year of change for the United Nations, provided that all Member States are willing to accept this challenge. Sweden will assume its responsibility and work actively to achieve good results at the High Level Meeting in September.

Let us be guided by the words of Dag Hammarskjöld in his posthumously published diary Markings:

Never look down to test the grounds before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eyes fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.

There is no better way to commemorate the memory of Dag Hammarskjöld than by contributing to the creation of a modern United Nations that has the strength to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Thank you!