Nordic Statement at the Ambassadorial-level meeting on the Summit of the Future

- check against delivery - 

Excellencies, Colleagues,

I deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic Countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and my own country Sweden. 

First of all, let me express our deep appreciation to the co-facs Germany and Namibia for their tireless efforts in consolidating the comprehensive compilation text into a concise REV1. 

We know that this was not an easy task, and we are impressed that you have made the text both more action-oriented, while maintaining a clear high-level focus, and at the same time easier to follow. The new version is ambitious and takes one step further than just reaffirming our previous commitments. 

Allow us to make a few initial comments:

First. The Nordic countries will continue to support a text that has a clear balance between the three equally important pillars of the UN: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. These aspects are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.  

Second. We cannot resolve present and future challenges without the full, equal, and meaningful participation of all women and girls. We therefore appreciate that gender equality and women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights, including SRHR, are included throughout the Pact. 

Third. All three pillars of sustainable development, social, environmental and economic, need to be addressed, and the environmental pillar must not be forgotten, including for safeguarding the natural resources we all depend on. Addressing climate change and achieving the SDGs are interconnected, we should work to strengthen the synergies.

Fourth. To truly achieve sustainable development, we know that financing is key. To accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda we need to make the most of the resources at our disposal. We also need an international financial architecture that is fair, efficient and fit for purpose. We appreciate the clear focus on these elements in the Pact and look forward to engaging on the many important issues including FFD, climate financing, and IFA reform. 

Fifth. There is a clear link from the New Agenda for Peace to the text now before us. We welcome the language on prevention, including on UN preventive diplomacy and on national prevention strategies. Following up on the issue of adequate, sustainable, flexible and predictable financing for peacebuilding will be important.

Lastly, on process. We firmly believe that listening to and engaging with non-state actors, including the private sector, enriches the intergovernmental nature of the UN. Meaningful civil society inclusion is important both in the process as well as in the text itself. We support the approach of conducting a broad and transparent multi-stakeholder process. We also wish to, again, emphasize our unwavering support to the co-facs as penholders - guiding us through this process. 

The Pact for the Future is not only important for the many pressing issues it covers but also for the opportunity it provides to bridge polarisation and find common understanding. You can count on the Nordic countries’ constructive engagement throughout the negotiations.

***

I also wish to say a few words in my national capacity and as co-facs of the GDC together with Zambia.

We appreciate the close collaboration on matters related to digital cooperation during this process.

We look forward to continuing this cooperation and aligning our efforts to ensure the outcomes are complementary and reinforcing. 

Thank you.