Joint Nordic Statement, Summit of the Future Chapter 5

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

The crises we are facing today call for reform of the multilateral system. Chapter 5 of the Pact of the Future on Transforming Global Governance offers an opportunity to reform multilateral institutions and making them fit for purpose for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges.

Respect for international law, including human rights law, gender equality and non-discrimination must be at the centre of our efforts. Increased coherence within the UN family, including improved synergies between New York, Geneva and other UN capitals, should be a key outcome. The Security Council and the General Assembly should increase their interaction with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Council. Vice versa the UN Human Rights Council would benefit of interaction with actors involved in peacekeeping and in the security sector.

The Nordic countries are committed to engaging with concrete and operational contributions in the process and would like to make four main points during today’s consultation.

First, on the Peace & Security Architecture. The Security Council is entrusted with the ultimate responsibility to maintain international peace and security. In order to have the required legitimacy to tackle global challenges the Security Council must be effective, transparent and accountable. The Nordic countries support a balanced expansion of the Security Council to better reflect current global political and economic realities. We support an expansion of the Council in both categories, including extra permanent and non-permanent seats including for Africa.

We need to ensure that the Security Council can act in cases of mass atrocities and therefore the Nordic countries support initiatives to limit the scope and use of the veto. In this regard, we regard Liechtenstein's veto initiative as a positive step. We also support the French-Mexican initiative and the ACT Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes. Furthermore, the Nordic countries agree with the Co-Chairs that the more specific work of Security Council reform should take place in the Intergovernmental Negotiations to avoid any duplication of efforts, while feeding into the Pact for the Future.

With its flexible mandate and strong focus on national ownership, the Peacebuilding Commission is well placed to address multidimensional threats to peace and security and development. The Nordic Countries support an enhanced role of the PBC to more geographical and substantive settings, including cross-cutting issues such as security, human rights, gender equality, climate change, health, and development from a prevention and peacebuilding perspective.

The pact should also affirm the functions, powers, and role of the General Assembly in matters related to the maintenance of international peace and security. This role must be further strengthened as the universal and most inclusive body of the United Nations, in line with the Charter.

Enhanced strategic cooperation with regional and local actors and complementarity of efforts is key. We encourage the UN to strengthen its overall partnership with regional and sub-regional organizations. Partnerships with local peacebuilding organizations, including those led by women and youth, are essential for effective, inclusive global governance relating to prevention and peacebuilding.

Second, The Nordic countries welcome discussions on the governance of the international financial architecture, including governance of the International Financing Institutions. We acknowledge that the global economic governance has not kept pace with changes in the global economy, and that there is need to enhance the voice of low-income countries in the international financial architecture.

We support proposals to increase the effectiveness of the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and International Financial Institutions (IFIs). We also encourage enhanced cooperation and information sharing among the MDBs and with the UN, including a more systematic engagement between the UN and International Financial Institutions towards increased support for national peacebuilding priorities.

We underline the need for further efforts to increase debt transparency by all actors, as well as to implement the existing Common Framework for Debt Treatment in an effective, timely and coordinated manner.

Providing the necessary scale of financing to reach the SDGs can only be achieved by mobilizing all resources, public and private, domestic and international, to make sure the poorest are not left behind. Domestic resources are the most reliable in the long term. DRM (Domestic Resource Mobilization), a good regulatory framework, and an enabling business environment are key for development. Using ODA strategically is a priority, including traditional and innovative instruments, as well as promoting free and rules-based trade.

Third, to strengthen the international response to complex global shocks, the proposed ‘Emergency Platform’ would leverage the UN’s convening power and capacities in a timely and predictable way and identify and bring together actors to respond. This is a welcomed suggestion that would bring added value to ongoing work-streams and partnerships in nexus. The Nordics underline the need to find innovative, effective, and collaborative ways to finance our response more sustainably, including through strategic partnerships with emerging donors and the private sector. Working together in broad partnerships ahead of crises is key to save lives and livelihoods. Aid must be made more agile, preventative, risk-informed and climate adaptive.

Fourth and last, we need to strengthen the governance of Outer Space. The increasing number of activities in the ‘final frontier’ must be for the common good and benefit of all mankind. International cooperation is essential; the United Nations should be at the centre of the further development of outer space governance. Moreover, the future of outer space governance should be developed inclusively with the participation of relevant stakeholders, such as the space industry and other non-governmental actors.

I thank you.