National statement delivered by Ambassador Olof Skoog on behalf of Sweden at the UNFPA annual session, 5 June 2018, New York.
Mr President, Madam Executive Director, Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues,
Gender equality and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights remains a corner stone of Sweden´s foreign- and development policy.
Sweden’s government therefore highly appreciate our strong partnership with UNFPA, the engagement of UNFPA’s leadership and staff and the important work and results achieved by the organisation.
We welcome UNFPA’s enhanced focus on youth, and the results achieved in this field. Sweden considers youth as a key actor of change and are happy to have facilitated the Youth, Peace and Security resolution in the Security Council. We hope for strong support and encourage all Member States to co-sponsor before its adoption tomorrow morning.
Sexual and gender-based violence, child marriage and teenage pregnancies often increase in conflict settings and following natural disasters. Preventing this is both the right thing to do in supporting the most vulnerable, but also necessary for a sustainable development and sustained peace.
The Government of Sweden is proud to continue to be the largest donor of regular resources to UNFPA. We have raised our core contribution in 2018 to approximately 70 million USD.
We are also very proud to announce that the Government of Sweden will enter into multi-annual agreements on regular resources with several UN-organisations, including UNFPA.
This is the first time Sweden has managed to commit to multi-year core funding. We have seen challenges in such commitments, but thanks to your good work, the Government has been convinced that the advantages outnumber the risks and to continue to build on the trust in our collaboration.
This will facilitate UNFPA’s long term planning and give the organisation a greater flexibility to respond to new challenges and direct its efforts to the areas with most needs.
In April I participated in the Security Council’s visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar, and saw what core funding contributes to. The 185’000 women who have been screened by UNFPA’s midwives, the creation of the 19 women friendly spaces and all the 70 000 information sessions on protection from gender-based violence and trafficking would not have been possible without core funds.
When a crisis occurs, which we see too often, regular resources are the best way to ensure effective programming to the benefit of women and young people’s health and rights. We encourage others to join us in increasing the predictable funds.
Sweden was honoured to welcome you, Executive Director Natalia Kanem, to Stockholm in April at the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality. Your contribution to important discussions on what it takes to make human security a reality for all, and how to ensure “She Decides”, were highly appreciated.
The Government of Sweden is deeply troubled by recent reports of sexual harassment and abuse within the UN system. There must be no doubt that there is zero tolerance of such behaviour within the UN system and elsewhere.
We welcome UNFPA’s active engagement in ensuring that words are now turned into action and that the UN’s policy of zero tolerance is implemented across the whole organisation.
Let me also address UN reforms. Sweden strongly supported the historic General Assembly resolution on the repositioning of the United Nations development system.
Now, the focus must be on implementation, not least by having stronger collaboration and coordination in the UN-system at country level.
We expect UNFPA to support the Secretary General in the implementation process, clearly identify and present the changes that are needed in the organisation, how these are going to be undertaken and a time line to this end.
I would like to finish by thanking UNFPA for a well written annual report.
Sweden would have liked to see a deeper analysis on why certain indicators have not been reached, including in the field of gender equality and HIV and Aids. Sweden also encourages UNFPA in future reports to include how the organisation is working to strengthen its leadership and internal management, particularly at country level. Finally, increased visibility for regular and flexible resources is essential to motivate more donors to opt for this kind of support.
Thank you.